The Opportunist
by Rangerhunters
Summary: Stephanie has 3 problems. 1. Both men in her life disappear for 2 months, then reappear, but she’s done with them, 2. Officer Pickie has arrested her, 3. She has one phone call. Who to call? Reposted by popular request. Babe/very HEA!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer – Yeah, yeah, yeah … they're JE's … not mine.

This story was first posted in 2002, right after Hard Eight was released and hundreds of Fan Fic fans and writers made the trip to Trenton, NJ to meet each other. Several readers have asked that I repost this story, so here it is … I've left the storyline intact, but heavy revisions have been done to each chapter. _Someday_, I'll get to post a new story!

HUGE thanks to Alf, May and Skye for helping to set things straight and for keeping me sane and not letting me throw in the towel.

Hope you enjoy the story and thanks for reading!

M (Marilyn)

Chapters will be posted on Monday and Thursday; hope that works for you!

**The Opportunist**

Chapter One

_**Two Months After Hard Eight**_

Stephanie whipped her car around the corner and ignored the horns and Italian gestures directed her way. She forced the front end of the car into the only open space in front of the bonds office and pulled the car in tight enough so the rear was out of the flow of on-coming traffic. She jumped out, slammed the door, shot an appreciative look at Vinnie's Harley parked one space down, and headed for the front door of the office. She shoved it open and stood there panting, her eyes blazing with anger.

"Jesus H. Christ!" Connie screamed and pinched her nose, raising the pitch of her words to a high nasal obscenity. She tugged open her desk drawer to search for anything that would bring relief to her olfactory nerves.

"Holy Shit! What the fuck is that smell?" Lula shrieked and grabbed a couple of Kleenexes from the box on Connie's desk to stuff them up her nose. Both women turned to glare at Stephanie where she stood just inside the door to the bonds office.

"Where is he?" Stephanie stomped past both women.

"Damn!" Connie keened as her eyes began to water when Stephanie passed by her desk.

When Stephanie reached the door of Vinnie's office, she pulled her right foot back and kicked it as hard as she could. The impact vibrated all the way up to her skull.. The steel toe of her boot almost knocked the door off its hinges.

"You lying, thieving, self-serving, arrogant, pompous son of a bitch!" Stephanie snarled when she barged into his office and used the heel of her boot to close the door behind her. She stood with her arms crossed and glowered at the rotten little weasel.

"Holy mother of God! You stink! Get the Hell out of here! Jesus, I can't breathe!" Vinnie leaped out of his chair and clamped the pages of the magazine he'd been reading over his nose and mouth.

"You think the smell is bad from your side, you should smell it from here!" Stephanie rounded the corner of his desk and flapped her shirt as she moved, wafting the powerful stench throughout the room.

"Keep away from me! You're fucking crazy!" Vinnie's muffed voice cried out from behind the magazine. He walked backwards trying to escape the unpleasant odor that rolled off of the woman in front of him.

"Right now, I'm not only fucking crazy … I'm fucking PISSED!" Stephanie matched Vinnie step for step around the desk. "You set me up, you lousy shit! You knew Thompson's brother would be there to run interference for him!" She wasn't sure if her light-headedness was from the smell or the yelling, but she stopped and rested one of her hands on the top of Vinnie's desk to steady herself.

Vinnie yelled, "NO! Don't you dare sit down in my new chair!"

Stephanie smiled, a slow, taunting smile, then lowered herself into the soft leather chair and began to wiggle her butt back and forth, then pressed her back against the plush tan leather of the executive chair. "Mmm, comfortable," she said and covered the large expanse of material with as much of her noxious body as possible.

"Aw, for Christ's sake, Stephanie, get out of my chair!" Vinnie pleaded.

"It's gonna cost you." She stopped wiggling, leaned forward, and rested her arms on top of the desk.

"What?" Vinnie choked out, his face green from the putrid cloud that filled the entire office. Why did this crap happen to him? Because he'd hired his disaster-prone cousin, that's why.

"Triple my take on the scum you sent me after today." Stephanie stared at him with a look of determination on her face.

"No." Even with tears floating in his eyes, Vinnie was able to focus his glare on her.

"Double and pay to have my car fumigated." Stephanie settled back into the chair and wiggled her butt deeper into the leather.

"Fine," Vinnie choked. "Just get the Hell out of here, will ya?" He turned and yanked on the cord to raise the blinds so he could open the window. "Shit!" He growled when it jammed in his haste.

"Thanks, Vinnie … always a pleasure doing business with you." Stephanie worked her car key off the key ring and tossed it onto his desk right next to the key to the Harley. She picked up the Harley key and walked to the door. "I'll use the Harley until my car is ready and, just so you know, if you ever double cross me like that again, I'll make your life a living Hell." She swung the door wide open and waltzed out of his office. She gave him a little wave over her shoulder as another tidal wave of disgusting odor swirled behind her.

"Like you haven't already! Fine, take the damn bike." Vinnie scrambled to bolt the door before she changed her mind and came back in with more demands.

Stephanie cringed when she saw the front door of the office propped open. She turned to look at Connie and then at Lula. Their cheeks puffed with air as they tried not to breathe. Their eyes circled with a bluish tinge.

"I know … I stink. I was chasing a skip across the road, slipped and fell on a dead skunk." She slapped Lula on the back. "Funny, after a while you don't even notice it." A huge grin spread across her face when Lula gasped for air.

Connie didn't want to receive the same treatment that Lula had and stepped off to the side, out of Stephanie's reach. She was about to take another step, when she stopped, her attention diverted towards the front door and a heated flush appeared on her face.

Stephanie frowned and realized there was only one reason Connie would forget about the fetid aroma around her. A mixture of dread and hot anger worked its way through her and she turned around.

"Holy shit!" Joe fanned his hand in front of his nose with a look of disgust.

Stephanie rolled her eyes. Right, like that would help.

"Vinnie messed with the wrong animal this time," Ranger said and exchanged his normal blank expression for squinted eyes and a slight scrunch in his nose.

"Never thought I'd say this to you, Cupcake, but I prefer you covered in garbage." Joe smiled and tried not to laugh; instead, he gagged when he drew in a huge whiff of Eau d'Skunk.

Stephanie narrowed her eyes at both men. Even after two months, she was still angry and hurt by the way they had treated her after the Abruzzi mess. Ranger had pushed her back to Joe and then promptly disappeared. Joe had refused to have sex with her that night; he claimed she needed to recuperate when what she'd needed was some hot, Italian sex to forget the hot, Cuban sex she'd had earlier that week. He, too, had left town the next day. _Well, the Hell with both of them. I don't need them now. My new shower massager pulses in three different speeds and it's in perfect working order._

Stephanie squared off in front of both men and fisted her hands on her hips, seething not only from today's little escapade, but also from the unresolved issues that revolved around the three of them. "Well, if it isn't the Invisible Twins … _Get 'n Go_." She shot each of them a separate angry look to indicate which one was _Get_ and which one was _Go_. She took a step closer, placed a hand on each of their chests, heaved a forcible shove to open the space between them and, without sparing them another glance, walked through them and out the door. The fresh rip in her jeans offered them a peek at the lower curve of her butt cheek and both men forgot the smell and enjoyed the view.

"She may reek, but she's got the best ass in Trenton. So glad she belongs to me," Joe said as he admired the back and forth twitch of her cheeks while she walked away from the office.

Ranger answered Joe's comment in his usual manner; no words, just a nod of his head, but more pronounced than normal. His eyes darkened when memories of his one night with Stephanie two months ago crept into his mind, a night when her bare ass had moved in an even more seductive motion.

Like it was a lover in anticipation, Stephanie swung her leg over the Harley and straddled it. She balanced the bike between her legs for a moment, her body poised over the seat while she readied herself for the ride, and then she roused the engine to a full roar. Her hips snuggled down into the bike's seat as if she were about to show a lover the ride of his life. From the way her shoulders relaxed and her body trembled, the vision didn't seem too far-fetched.

"How long were you gone?" Ranger asked, but kept his eyes on Stephanie's backside. He made a mental note to buy her a Harley of her own and to cancel Joe's supposed ownership of the finest female ass in Trenton.

"Two months," Joe answered. His eyes, too, remained fixed on the lower portion of Stephanie's anatomy.

"No wonder she's pissed," Ranger said with a slight tilt to his lips.

"Yeah, but why is she so angry with you? Last time I saw her that mad was when I had to leave just after we'd…" Joe tore his attention away from Stephanie's backside and turned it on Ranger with narrowed eyes and his jaw set. "You bastard!" Joe hissed and drew his arm back to throw a punch directed for Ranger's nose.

Ranger knocked Morelli's punch to the side. "You'd better think about your actions, Morelli." He bent his head in the direction of Connie and Lula.

Joe shot a glance at the two women who were staring at them with wide eyes. "Bastard," he fumed, stormed out of the bonds office, and jumped into his truck, the tires squealing when he sped away towards the police station. Ranger didn't blame Joe for not chasing after her. He'd pegged him for a good cop, but not for a man who would brave a pissed off Stephanie Plum that smelled like skunk.

Lula and Connie continued to stare out the door in shock when Ranger left the office. "Morelli didn't mean what it _sounded_ like he meant, did he?" Connie asked, but didn't bother to take her eyes from Ranger's retreating ass.

"I don't know, but if he did, that girl is gonna have to share some details with us." Lula's eyes held onto the same object as Connie's until it was out of view.

_sSsSs_

Stephanie pulled the Harley up in front of her parents' house and lowered the kickstand. She sat and let the engine run while she collected her courage. Who knew? Maybe she'd get lucky and no one would be home. With a turn of the key, the engine died on a low rumble as she dismounted and slipped the keys into her front pocket. There were two purposes for her trip: the hose in the backyard and a chat with Grandma Mazur. She skirted the steps to the front door and walked around to the back of the house where the hose waited, wrapped up nice and neat in its metal caddy attached near the corner of the house.

After she opened the valve, she unwound a few feet of hose and stretched it out midway into the backyard. She held the sprayer over her head and let the water run down her body to soak her clothing. Despite the brave front she'd put on at the office, she had a severe headache and a queasy stomach from the potent fumes. She'd bet if Vinnie ever got run over, he'd stink twice as bad. Bastard.

"Stephanie? What in heaven's name are you doing out there?" Her mother called from the kitchen window. "What will the neighbors think?" The wet aroma of Stephanie's encounter must have reached her mother's nose, because she shut the window and crossed herself.

"Grandma!" Stephanie shouted.

The back door opened a fraction of an inch. "What?" Grandma Mazur answered, her voice barely audible from behind the protection of the door.

"Could you spend the night at my place?" Stephanie continued to spray herself with the lukewarm water from the hose.

"Sure! You want to have a girl's night out?" The older woman asked with eager anticipation.

Stephanie released the pressure on the nozzle and looked into her grandmother's hawkish eyes focused on her through the crack in the door. "No, not tonight. I have to work and I'd don't want Rex to be alone." She knew her explanation sounded stupid, but it fit with the day's events.

"Damn, I heard there's a new gay bar in North Trenton. Me and Maggie Cotswold want to go, but we need someone to be our designated driver," Grandma Mazur said with a disappointed look.

"Sorry, not tonight. Maybe some other time." _Like when Hell freezes over,_ she thought. "Mom, would you and Dad leave the Buick for me when you drop Grandma off later?" She looked up at the kitchen window and saw her mother nod in agreement. "Thanks."

She squished through the small circle of wet, matted grass under her feet until she reached the narrow sidewalk and stopped to replace the hose. "I'll see you tonight." Her entire body leaked water from every orifice when she walked around the house.

When she reached the Harley, Stephanie heard the front door open and turned around to see her mother perched at the edge of the porch with a kitchen towel over her nose. "Stephanie? Use tomato juice … it's supposed to help."

Stephanie wasn't sure how tomato juice would help, but she nodded her head anyway. She dropped her body weight on the kick-starter and tried to figure out what her mother's comment had meant. What was tomato juice supposed to help? And why on Earth would her mother think she even had tomato juice in her apartment? She sure wasn't presentable enough to stop at the grocery store to buy some. The only way she could think tomato juice might help her right now was to mix it with vodka. The roar of the engine filled her ears and she pulled away from the house. Screw the tomato juice. She'd just make do with the vodka; she already had a bottle on ice in the freezer.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!

A/N: Thanks also to Alf, May and Skye for all their help. But most of all, I'd like to thank you, the readers, for all the support you've shown the story! Enjoy!

**The Opportunist**

Chapter Two

Stephanie wrapped the bath sheet around her body and drew in a deep breath, then sighed with relief. It had taken every drop of hot water and some of the cold to wash away the noxious odor of Eau de Skunk from every part of her body. From the combination of her shower under the garden hose and the ride home on the Harley, the smell had lessened by the time she reached her apartment. She stood outside her door and stripped down as far as she dared, then rushed inside before Mr. Wolesky had a chance to open his door. She shoved every last piece of ruined clothing into a large trash bag and threw it out her fire escape, pleased when it landed close to the dumpster.

She planned to run downstairs after her shower and throw it in the dumpster to ensure she received no complaints from her watchful neighbors. Even though most of the seniors in the building had lost their sense of smell due to the over use of BenGay, she didn't want to run the risk that one of them would open the bag and be overcome by the smell.

Stephanie hadn't needed the tomato juice after all, and she anticipated the vodka she always kept on-hand in her freezer. She smiled at her success. All in all, not a bad deal. She'd lost some old, ragged clothes, but had gained twice her normal pay and had roped Vinnie into paying for the fumigation of her car.

She caught a glimpse of the pink scar on arm in the mirror and her mind wandered through her brief, but traumatic, encounter with Abruzzi. A shiver of fear raced down her spine when she saw, in her memory, the look on his face as he lowered the poker to her flesh. She gave herself a mental shake. _Stop this, damn it!_ For two months, she'd been successful in her denial of that horrible night. The minute Get 'n Go stepped into the bonds office today, the whole sordid experience crashed around her and she couldn't shake it off. Despite her efforts, those two always managed to turn her life upside down. _No more! It ends tonight._

_Get_ professed to love her, but he'd left her hurt and alone and not for the first time. _Go_ said he was attracted to her, whatever the hell that meant, and would be back if she didn't repair her relationship with _Get_. Well, _Get_ had gone and _Go _had left. The hell with both of them. Stephanie hurried to dress, then tugged on a pair of disposable latex gloves and went down to toss the trash bag into the dumpster.

Upon her return to her apartment, Stephanie turned to go into the kitchen. She reached in the cabinet for a glass, dropped some ice cubes in it, poured a couple of glugs of vodka, filled the rest of the glass with orange juice, and gave it a swirl. She made her way to the living room and flopped onto her couch. A smile crept over her lips. Project Skunk Removal was complete, now on to Operation Surprise. She took another sip of her drink and imagined how the events might go down given that both men were so predictable. _Get_ would come by with a pizza. Good. Grandma loved pizza. _Go_ would break into her apartment in the middle of the night. Stephanie frowned. She hoped Grandma's heart would hold up to that shock. Hah! More like it was the other way around, maybe it was _Go's_ heart she needed to worry about! The more she drank, the more the plan appealed to her new determination.

The final detail she needed to figure out was where she should spend the night. Mary Lou's? Nah. That would be the second place _Get _would look for her, right after he checked her parents' house. Connie's? Lula's? Nah, _Go _would think of them and he'd find her without any trouble. Both were out. Stephanie grinned and drained the last of her drink. No one would think to look for her at Dougie and Mooner's. After all, they owed her a favor. They wouldn't mind. Hell, there was a good chance they wouldn't even remember!

She slipped off into a dreamless sleep before she realized it and the loud bang on the door woke her with a start. "Stephanie? Stephanie! Open up! I know you're in there!" The shrill tone of her grandmother's voice sounded from the other side of the door.

Stephanie hauled herself off the couch, her speed of motion limited by her alcohol-induced fog. When she opened the door, the sight Grandma's bright eyes and the smell of marinara sauce greeted her.

"Move over and let me in. I had your dad stop at Pino's on our way over so I could pick up dinner for us. It took you so long to open that door it's probably cold."

Stephanie stepped aside and said a silent prayer of thanks to the food gods. A fresh pizza from Pino's was so much better than the frozen crab cakes and pizza rolls she'd envisioned as supper at Chez Dougie and Mooner. Grandma might have more than a few moments of crazy, but the two of them shared the right food genes.

Stephanie picked up the overnight bag and the keys to the Buick her dad had left at the front door and brought them inside. Before she could lock the door, Grandma had the plates out and silverware arranged.

She bit the tip end off of her slice of pizza and pondered the best way to warn her grandmother of the possibility … no, probability … of visitors.

"I heard Joe and that bounty hunter with the package were in Vinnie's office today while you were there." Stephanie looked up, surprised. How did she know that? How does everyone in the entire Burg always know her business? "That mean they're still sniffing after you?"

Crap. How to answer that one? "I don't know. I didn't stay long enough to find out."

Grandma Mazur cast a shrewd glance at her granddaughter. "That's why you wanted me to stay here tonight, isn't it? In case they come around?"

Stephanie flushed. "Well, uhm … yeah."

Grandma Mazur nodded and a pleased look appeared on her face. "Thought so. I imagine you expect them to pay you a visit tonight." Stephanie almost chocked on the bit of pizza she tried to swallow. "Don't worry, I came prepared. Brought me some of those flavored condoms. Large and extra large."

"Grandma, I don't think that will be necessary. I'm sure if either Joe or Ranger comes by, it won't be for that reason."

The smile faltered from her grandmother's face, then brightened again. "Maybe not, but I'm sure I can entice them. After all, you have my genes, but I'm the original."

_Oh yeah_, Stephanie thought, _you're an original all right_. She was hit by the sudden thought that she didn't need to be embarrassed by this. After all, what could be a more appropriate payback for _Get 'n Go_? Both thought they could waltz in and out of her life whenever they felt like it with no repercussions. They _deserved_ this, and she hoped they would drop by. Too bad she wouldn't be here to see their reactions.

She smiled. "You go for it, Grandma."

"Damn Skippy I will. So, where are you hiding out tonight?"

_Oh no, not a chance_. "I have to stakeout one of my skips tonight."

Grandma shot her a sly glance and clicked her dentures together. "Too bad. Guess I'll have to cope with those hotties all by myself."

_SSsSs_

"Dudette! Come in! Dougie and I are all set to watch the Gilligan's Island marathon." Mooner squinted at her with a goofy grin on his face; his eyes covered with a slight glaze.

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "So you don't mind a little company?"

"No way, dudette, we'll have a party! We've got these awesome pizza rolls and some primo stash. We'll have fun!" Mooner did a classic Wayne and Garth air guitar to show his enthusiasm.

Oh yeah, fun. She'd be stoned from all the smoke and after three or four hours of Gilligan's Island, she should be brain dead, too. Sounded good to her.

"Hey, Dougie." She gave him a smile and stepped into the … living room? Party room? Hard to tell. There was a lumpy puke green couch that looked like it had died in the '70s positioned in the middle of the room. She saw a gray mattress that used to be white, but now had dubious brown and orange stains marring the surface, tucked up under the window, and the largest, mind-numbing television she'd ever seen, accented by trash of various colors, strewn around the floor. Stacked in haphazard piles on the side tables were piles of video games and, in the center of the coffee table, stood a humongous flesh-toned bong with a black pipe sticking out just above the center of two large breasts with perky brown nipples. Guess she knew how they intended to invest the Ramos money.

Both Dougie and Moonie were happy to see her and, after they zapped the food in the microwave, they settled in for the night's entertainment. Three hours later, the woozies set in and Stephanie slipped off the couch and crawled over to the mattress. She ignored its hideous appearance, curled up on her side, and fell asleep.

_SSsSs_

The after-work and dinnertime crowd at Pino's had cleared out; the rush for home delivery would start up in an hour. A few of Trenton's finest still occupied a couple of the center tables, each taking slow sips of their beers. Once their glasses were empty, it would be time for them to head home. Joe parked his truck next to the entrance and left the motor running. He'd called ahead and ordered the pizza so it would be ready when he got there. With Manoso back in town, Joe wanted to make sure he and Stephanie were back 'on' before Manoso had a chance to maneuver his way into her life. One subject he'd stay away from was Manoso's comment. They'd have to discuss it soon, but not tonight.

He stretched his long legs over the two steps that lead up to the door and did a quick scan of the room while he walked up to the cash register. He waved to the table occupied by Carl and Big Dog.

"Good to see you back in town," Maggie, Pino's eldest daughter, said while she rang up the price of Joe's pizza. "You and Stephanie back together?" Her dark eyes danced with mischief.

"That's the plan." Joe winked at her. He held the hot pizza box by its edges and crossed the room to say hi to his friends.

"Think one pizza will be enough to win Steph back?" Big Dog asked with a wide grin. Joe gave the large man a cocky smile, 'It's not what's in the box that will win her back. Pizza's for dessert.'

Carl lifted the last piece of pizza from the pedestal plate up to his mouth. "Hope so … she's been in a shitty mood since you left."

Joe's smiled wider and he waggled his eyebrows. "I can guarantee that she'll be in a better mood by tomorrow." He gave them a quick wave as he made his way out the door.

"Wonder if he knows about the skunk she landed on today?" Big Dog managed to ask before he and Carl broke down into roars of laughter while they watched Joe's truck pull out onto the street.

Joe parked his truck in a space near the back door to Stephanie's apartment building and did a quick scan of the area. No sign of Manoso or any of his men and the Harley was parked snug against the building. He glanced up at the soft yellow lines of light that streamed through her living room blinds. Good. He'd had a blue and white cruise past her apartment several times after she'd left Vinnie's office. He didn't want any uninvited guests to interrupt the little reunion he had planned tonight.

He made quick work of the stairs and picked the feeble excuse of a lock on her door with one hand with the pizza balanced in the other. When he closed and locked the door behind him, his lips curled into a lecherous smile. The smell of a warm, fresh pizza from Pino's was an Italian aphrodisiac for one Stephanie Plum.

The continuous sound of water in the shower drew his attention and he placed the pizza down onto the coffee table. _Perfect_, he thought while he pulled off his shirt. Dinner could wait. Joe paused outside the bathroom door and took a deep sniff. No skunk odor, thank goodness. That would have been a definite mood killer.

Naked and more than ready, Joe turned the doorknob and stepped into the small bathroom without a sound. The hot water from the shower had filled the room with deep, heavy steam that clouded every square inch. He smiled when he heard Stephanie's off-key humming coming from behind the ugly brown shower curtain. He'd soon hear a different tune from her sexy mouth.

He reached up and pulled the shower curtain back by the plastic rings, careful not to make any unnecessary noise and spoil his surprise. Steam poured out of the shower and clouded his vision. He closed his eyes and thought how wonderful her sweet, tight ass pressed up against his greedy flesh would feel. Blinded by lust, Joe stepped into the shower and reached for the female shape in front of him.

For a few seconds … the world stopped. He opened his mouth unable to utter a sound. Confusion and horror mingled in his mind as he scrambled to react. Grandma Mazur stepped backwards and her naked backside came into contact with a stiff object that surpassed any she'd felt in recent years. "Hallelujah!" She sang out.

"Shit!" Morelli yelled and tried to back away from the emaciated hands that groped at his muscled form. In his haste to retreat, his feet slipped out from under him and his body was racked with pain. He hit his shoulder and head on the side of the shower wall, but there was no comparison to the fear that engulfed him when he stared up at a naked and eager Grandma Mazur. He willed himself to forget the wrinkled skin, the sparse gray hair just above his eye level, and the gummy smile within the sunken cheekbones. His last conscious thought was … _Dear God, there is a hell and it's covered with wrinkles._

_SSsSs_

Ranger pulled the Porsche in next to the large, black SUV that was parked at the end of the lot and checked the time, ten minutes after midnight. He slipped out of the car, closed the door without a sound and the dark tinted window of the SUV slid down.

"Visitors?" Ranger asked the big man reclined in the driver's seat.

"Just Morelli and he stayed less than twenty minutes. Ran out with his arm clutched to his side, even in the dark he looked white as a sheet. Steph must have hit him with something hard and wet by the look of it; hair was dripping all over his clothes. He jumped in his car and never looked back." Tank smiled when he remembered the sight.

"Go home. Get some rest," Ranger said and headed for the back door of the apartment building.

Ranger took the steps three at a time, each time he landed lightly on the ball of his foot. He paused outside Stephanie's apartment door and smiled at the memory of another nighttime visit. The door sprang open with his practiced touch and the smell of pizza filled the air. He closed and locked the door behind him, then sat on the couch to pull off his boots. The rest of his clothes fell to the floor. He gave no advance notice when he entered her bedroom and paused at the foot of the bed to gaze at her sleeping form. Strange, she had never snored before and the room smelled like liniment. At least she didn't smell like dead skunk!

Ranger couldn't wait to touch her soft skin and to hold her body close to his. In one swift move, he raised the covers and slipped his naked body in next to hers. He slid his hands around her waist to prevent a repeat of the attitude she'd displayed at the office, and then covered her mouth with his and thrust in his possessive tongue. He cupped her breast in his hand … what the hell? Where were her teeth? What happened to her breast? The object in his hand felt like a melted glob of Jell-O and it wasn't where it was supposed to be. Ranger pulled his head back to disengage his mouth and looked at the woman who had turned over in his embrace. Shock and horror coursed through his body.

Grandma Mazur reached up and grabbed two handfuls of his long hair and pulled him back to her. "If you want, I'll put my teeth back in, but I can make your package happier without them." She winked at him and raked her eyes down what she could see of his hard, well-defined body, however, certain parts seem to be losing their hardness at a rapid rate.

"Hot damn! I was right about your package. I think I'll start there first!" She made a move toward his deflating cock with one of her bony hands.

The threat that she would touch any part of his manhood broke the ice that had frozen Ranger's actions. "Dios mio!" He catapulted from the bed and ran from the room. Fuck! He'd French kissed an old woman without any teeth and his hands had caressed massive quantities of wrinkled skin! The taste of the medicine that covered her tongue permeated his mouth. All he wanted was to go home and grab the strongest liquor he had in stock and down it.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!_

_A/N: Thanks also to Alf, May and Skye for all their help. But most of all, I'd like to thank you, the readers, for all the support you've shown the story. Enjoy!_

**The Opportunist**

Chapter Three

Stephanie woke disoriented and with a headache so excruciating that she reached up to see if there was a hatchet buried in the top of her head. Not only was the pain unbearable, but she could hear it as well. What was that racket and where was it coming from? She closed her eyes tighter and tried to ignore the snorts and wheezes, but the sounds worked their way around the pain to reach her brain. Snoring! She froze. Who was in her bed? She turned over and rolled onto the floor with a thud, which got her full attention; her bed wasn't close to the floor. She opened her bleary eyes and tried to bring her surroundings into focus. She shook her head and tried to force reality to kick in. Oh yeah, she'd stayed at Dougie and Mooner's place so _Get 'n Go _wouldn't find her. Too many pizza rolls. Too much contact buzz from the bong. And waaayyy too much Ginger, Mary Ann, Gilligan, and the Skipper, too.

Despite the constant throb in her head, she had to smile when she saw Dougie and Mooner. It was obvious that, between the three of them, they were in worse shape and they were still asleep. Various parts of their bodies were stretched over the end of the mattress, mouths open and puddles of drool under their cheeks. Stephanie averted her eyes from the sight of their drool as it blended with the stains on the mattress and the mystery of their dubious origin became clear. Before she got sick, she picked herself up off the floor and made her way to the bathroom. _Yeoww_! No way would she ever take a shower here! It was a hepatitis virus's dream. The bathtub had a slick green film that covered the bottom and, if her eyes were to be trusted, she would have sworn that the toilet burped at her. Desperation and a full bladder caused her to accept the fact that she had no other choice but to brave a quick use of the facilities, so she held herself high above the seat while she did her business.

Who knew how late the guys stayed up, but it looked like they were out for the count for several more hours. Maybe days. A hasty exit, coupled with a cup of coffee and an Egg McMuffin, seemed the next best step. Stephanie gathered her stuff, made her way through the minefield of debris left over from last night's party, and scooted out the door. Just as she pulled it shut, one of the heaviest rainfalls Trenton had seen since last summer, exploded overhead.

_Wonderful_. It wasn't like her life was a bowl of cherries right now, but a girl could only stand so much. She hurried to unlock the car and dropped the keys from her frigid, wet fingers. She muttered a curse when she bent over to scoop them up and jammed the key into the lock, then jumped inside, soaked to the bone and her teeth chattering. Well, that was one way to get a shower, albeit a cold one. She wiped her hands as dry as she could on her jeans then started the car. She'd only been up for thirty minutes and already today was in position to be worse than yesterday.

Stephanie turned on the windshield wipers, put the Buick in gear and pointed it towards the nearest McDonald's drive-thru window with a mental note to remember to order extra for Grandma. _Shit!!_ She'd almost forgotten her whole plan and wondered if Grandma had had any visitors last night. Her imagination brimmed with all the possibilities of how her plan could have worked and she allowed herself a minute of selfish pleasure, a satisfied smile planted on her face. Maybe this day held a bright spot after all.

In her mind, she saw Joe walk in with something from Pino's, because that's what he always did to get on her good side. He'd get angry and his face would turn beet red when he found Grandma Mazur there instead of her. He'd make up some excuse and stomp out of the apartment, pissed because his big plans for the night had been spoiled. The scene her mind created for Ranger was much funnier. Grandma was obsessed with his 'package' and no doubt she'd try to get her hands on it. Ranger's face would go blank, not red, and the next time she ran into him, she'd be greeted by a pair of eyes that would shine with a steely glint, a sure sign that meant she was in trouble.

Oh dear Lord! What had she been thinking? Ranger's methods of retaliation fell in that small space between pleasure and pain, depending on his target and where he decided to apply pressure. She felt a rush of heat at the juncture of her thighs when she remembered the ways he liked to get things out of her.

Not even the sight of the Golden Arches could erase all of the naked, sweaty Ranger images that had popped into her head. When she placed her order at the speaker box her voice was almost a moan. She felt her cheeks grow hot and forced all thoughts of Ranger from her mind while she swung Big Blue up to the second window to receive the fatty, yummy goodness. She accepted the large Diet Coke from the woman and balanced it between her legs, exchanged a ten-dollar bill for the food, and yelled, "Keep the change!" as she rolled up her window and sped away.

The smell of her Egg McMuffin was too much to resist. Stephanie steered with one hand while she groped around inside the bag until she touched one of the warm paper wrappers with rain chilled fingertips. Her stomach growled with anticipation. With well-practiced dexterity, she removed the wrapper from the breakfast sandwich with one hand and sank her teeth into it with ravenous greed. Ah, bless the morning god of grease!

The intensity of the storm increased and Stephanie shoved her food back down into the bag so she could have both hands on the wheel. She felt like she was driving through a carwash. Traffic had slowed to a crawl and she resisted the urge to honk her horn. All she wanted was a warm shower, a run-down of last night's events from Grandma, and then her own bed for a few more hours of sleep.

Her phone rang and she shoved her hand into her purse and rooted around until she felt the vibration hit her hand. She plucked it out and answered, based on the ring tone, "Hi, Mom."

"Stephanie, this is your … oh, well. Stephanie, I just called to see what your schedule was for today." She could hear the water run as it filled the sink and figured it was time to wash the breakfast dishes.

Stephanie thought fast. If she didn't have any plans, she could end up driving her grandmother around town all day. "I have a skip that I have to bring in today, Mom. Vinnie expects the body receipt today." Not the whole truth, but not a lie, either. She needed to get Thompson bagged by the end of the week and she was sure Vinnie wouldn't touch her car until she did.

"Your grandmother has a checkup after lunch and your father has pickups until mid-afternoon . I need you to bring her home if you don't have time to take her yourself."

Stephanie sighed. Geez_,_ _her mother knew exactly which buttons to push to activate her guilt, she needed to learn to do that, it was a skill._ "Mom, I can take Grandma to her appointment and then I'll drop her off before I go to work."

"Thank you, I appreciate it. We'll expect to see you and Joseph at 6:00 tonight. Oh, and there's a viewing your grandmother wants to attend this evening. I'm sure Joseph wouldn't mind escorting the two of you." Her mother hung up on her.

Stephanie drove for several feet with her mouth open. She'd been railroaded into taking her grandmother to two places today, not to mention dinner. There was no way she'd ask Morelli, so that meant she'd be stuck keeping Grandma out of trouble all by herself. She gave another eye roll and focused on the traffic in front of her.

As she passed the bus station, Stephanie noticed a sodden form huddled under a lump of blankets on the bench in front. Damn, it looked like Eula Ruthledge. Why was she sitting there in the rain? She needed to be at the shelter.

Stephanie pulled up to the curb and then backed up until she was parallel to the bench. She beeped the horn but failed to get a response from Eula. Stephanie sighed, slid over the bench seat, opened the passenger door and climbed out into the downpour once again.

"Eula!" She shouted. The woman didn't even stir and Stephanie stepped closer. "Eula?" Crap. She knew the older woman slept with cigarette filters crammed into her ears as a substitute for earplugs. "We need to get you to the shelter." She knelt down next to her friend, careful to stay out of the range of her hands and feet. Eula made it a habit to strike out with her fists or deliver a swift kick if someone came too close to her. "You're gonna get sick if you stay out here," Stephanie said and gave the woman's shoulder an easy shake. Again, no response. Stephanie started to give the woman another nudge when she saw the ashen color of Eula's face and her hands stilled.

Stephanie ignored the fear that raged through her and the constriction in her throat. She leaned over to unfold the sodden blanket that Eula had draped around herself for warmth. Eula released a soft moan. Stephanie hurried to pull the second blanket aside. Another weak moan sounded from between the old woman's lips.

The sight before her robbed Stephanie's legs of their strength and she dropped to her knees in front of Eula. The blanket slipped from her grip when her fingers stretched straight out in shock and her mind slowed down. The world around her became surreal. She watched, transfixed, as her hand reached out to touch Eula's neck. Stephanie began to pray that she'd feel a pulse. A rush of relief broke from her throat when she felt a faint beat under her fingertips.

Her eyes stung with tears. She wiped them away and contemplated Eula's still form. She ignored the red, sticky mess hidden beneath the battered, dingy fabric that had covered the woman's thin frame.

"Damn it, Eula." Stephanie's voice was thick and raspy with emotion. She chose to forget the image she'd seen, instead, she went straight for denial. She had an absurd urge to find something else to cover Eula with to keep her dry and warm. The rational part of Stephanie's brain knew her friend needed more help than her incapable hands could provide, but Stephanie tuned out that part.

Behind her, she heard a car door open and shut. She had a vague sense of someone, a man, making an emergency call and heard a location given in a loud, clear voice over the roar of the rain. Footsteps splashed through the puddles on the sidewalk when someone approached her from the side. Words were spoken to her by the same voice, but her mind failed to comprehend their meaning. Her eyes were focused only on Eula.

Stephanie remembered the first time she had picked the woman up for a missed court date, how much she liked tuna salad sandwiches, the various stories her friend had recited on the short trips to the TPD in Stephanie's various cars, and the time they had sat and laughed together one day while people-watching at the bus station.

Eula's eyes opened wide and she stared at Stephanie. Her weathered hand tried to cover the gaping wound in her chest. Blood was everywhere. Unable to stop herself, Stephanie added her hands to Eula's as they tried to cover the life-draining puncture.

"She killed me." Eula's eyes locked onto Stephanie's, the older woman's words sounded weak and breathy. As Eula's body slumped forward off the bench, Stephanie reached out to catch her friend and cradled Eula in her arms. Stephanie's whispered 'No…' faded into the cold, dreary wetness of the morning.

"We need medical backup…" Stephanie heard a male voice request, his words echoing as if he were in a tunnel.

Another pair of arms separated Stephanie from the woman and laid Eula's apparently lifeless body back onto the bench. A flash of silver dropped into Stephanie's lap and she reached to pick it up. She winched when she felt the sting of a cut from the blade to the outer edge of her palm.

All around her, an odd ring of color formed as the rain mixed with Eula's blood. Stephanie held the knife, similar to the one her mother used to chop vegetables, up to the person helping Eula. She wanted it removed from her hand.

A latex covered hand appeared over her shoulder to accept the knife. Another hand reached down to help her stand and then led her to a car and pushed her into the backseat. Stephanie's eyes never left Eula's reclined shape; lost in the woman's plight, utterly unaware of her own surroundings and the events around her.

The shrill wail of a siren broke through the paralyzed mental barriers of her mind. _Finally. Eula will be all right now_. But when she gazed at the still form, Stephanie knew help would arrive too late for Eula, and her friend would never enjoy another tuna salad on rye with extra pickles again.

The car ride was short. Stephanie felt a pair of hands assist her out of the car's backseat. She stumbled along when she was led through a gray door and into a noisy building. Feet shuffled, papers rustled, and voices rumbled in low conversation, but she paid them no heed. Eula was the only thing on her mind. What had happened? She needed to find out. The pair of hands on her arm directed her into a smaller room and assisted her into a chair at a black metal table in a quiet room. At last, she'd have a chance to process the morning's events.

The door opened then closed and footsteps approached the table. "Miss Plum, we need to ask you some questions." Stephanie looked up into the face of Officer Gaspick, who wore a triumphant sneer on his face. She looked around and it dawned on her where she was.

"Why am I here?" Her face was a mask of confusion. "I need to leave and find out who hurt Eula."


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!_

_A/N: Thanks also to Alf, May and Skye for all their help. I hope they don't go blind from all the tweaking I've been doing. Also, a special thank you to Roger! But most of all, I'd like to thank you, the readers, for all the support you've shown the story. Enjoy!_

**The Opportunist**

Chapter Four

Stephanie heard the door swing open and raised her head off the pillow she'd made with her arms folded on top of the table. Wonderful, 'Picky' was back. She fought to stifle the groan before it escaped her lips, but knew she'd been unsuccessful by the scowl that formed he threw her way. "What is it _now_, Picky?" she snapped. What the hell, she had nothing to lose, why not let her attitude show?

Gaspick turned beet red and he looked like he was about to blow a gasket. Guess he wasn't used to anyone calling him that to his face. _Uh oh_, Stephanie thought. Maybe she'd gone too far. "Ms. Plum, _now_ it's time for more questions," he said, his voice clipped with anger.

"Christ, Gaspick! I've answered all your questions. Twice! You have my statement. My answers will be the same no matter how many times you question me." _God, is this guy dense or what?_ she wondered as he began a slow pace around the table, taking the occasional sip from his coffee cup. The interview room was longer than it was wide. His steps and movements reflected practice because they forced her to turn her body in various directions to keep him in sight.

Picky slowed his steps after the third turn around the room then stopped in perfect alignment across from her. "How about the truth this time, Ms. Plum?" Without a downward glance, he placed his hand on the back of the chair in front of him, pulled it out, turned it around, and balanced the arch of his foot on the edge of the seat. He leaned forward and set his cup on the table. His narrow shoulders shifted inside his suit jacket and he settled his slim arms on his raised thigh.

The coffee smelled almost burnt from sitting on the warmer too long and small globs of dark grounds clung to the rim. Still, Stephanie was tempted to reach out and take it from him. Annoyed by the smirk on his lips and the superior posture he always assumed, Stephanie took a deep breath to compose her emotions. "Officer Gaspick, I've told you all I know about Eula's death."

"That's Detective Gaspick, Ms. Plum." Stephanie's eyes shot to his face. Great. The worst cop on the force had somehow managed to be promoted and now saw her arrest as a way to gain fame. "Maybe it's time for another break. I'll go have lunch while you sit in a cell." Picky stood and slid his chair to its original position under the table. "Your hand doing okay?" He pointed at the thick layers of gauze wrapped around her hand. She couldn't remember who had tended to her hand or when. "Sure you don't need stitches? How'd that happen?"

Stephanie shot out of her chair. "You know damn good and well I got it when I picked up the knife." She was seething with rage. "If you plan to charge me, you'd better do it now, because I'm finished with your little antics."

"Sit down, Ms. Plum." Gaspick gave a slow shake of his head then rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "My way or the hard way; your choice."

Stephanie almost gagged. He sounded just like an actor reciting a line from a bad movie. No one spoke like that in real life, did they? She paused and waited to see if the next thing he said was, 'Make my day, punk.' He just stood there with a sinister grin and looked at her.

She was tired of Gaspick's penny ante games, tired of the condescending way he kept saying Ms. Plum, tired of this whole shitty day, just plain tired. All she wanted was to go home and sleep. Stephanie blew out a sigh and decided to put an end to it the fastest way she knew how. "I want to talk to Joe Morelli," she said and watched as Gaspick's smile double in size. "Now!" she shouted. Picky didn't move he just stood there with that smug smile all over his face that royally pissed her off. "You do understand English, don't you?"

"Oh yes, Ms. Plum, I understood every word." Gaspick's grin turned wicked. "It seems Detective Morelli called in this morning, said he need to take some personal time off."

"So call him at home!" Stephanie snapped.

"Sorry, Ms. Plum, he's out of town. You're on your own, this time." He leaned toward her and pinned her with the look of a predator about to pounce its prey. "Deal with it."

Stephanie panicked. Oh shit! She hadn't talked to her grandmother, yet, so she had no idea what had happened last night. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! What if her plan for revenge had backfired on her?

_sSsSs_

"Come on, Bob, out of the truck." The drive to Cape May took two and a half hours. It took another hour and a half to locate a hotel that allowed pets. The entire trip had Bob out of sorts. Lucky dog. Joe had been out of sorts since last night when he'd realized just who was in Stephanie's shower.

Bob bounded out of the cab of the truck and Joe led him to the 'dogs only' fenced area off to the side of the parking lot. Business completed, Bob was restored to his usual good humor. Joe's usual good humor was going to take a little more time to recover. Even his much needed piss wouldn't do it for him like it had for Bob. Just the sight of a bathroom brought back unpleasant memories, and he was sure that every time he stepped into a shower he'd have flashbacks, probably for the rest of his life.

He'd wasted no time in getting out of Trenton. He didn't want to be anywhere near the Burg when the story got out. He'd packed up Bob, called the station to tell them he'd be out of touch for a few days, and turned off his cell phone. A few days of uninterrupted time to think at the beach seemed like the perfect place. Who was he kidding? Anywhere would have been fine as long as he could escape the horrors of an enclosed bathroom. At least this way he'd be able to take a bar of soap down to the ocean and wash himself or use the outdoor shower if they had one by the beach; anything to avoid a bathroom. He was glad for the early summer weather and hoped to lounge on the beach to try to erase the traumatic visions of wrinkled skin he saw whenever he closed his eyes. Some young, smooth-skinned hotties running around in bikinis would be just the trick.

He congratulated himself. This trip was exactly what he needed; just him and Bob, two foot loose and fancy-free men of the world. He unlocked the door to their room, flipped on the A/C, and headed for the bathroom. His foot paused at the doorway and he shuddered. "Do you think they'd ask us to leave if I used your bathroom?" Joe looked down at the large, shaggy dog and smiled. He stiffened his spine, took a couple of slow steps inside, and forced himself to stand over the toilet. When he was finished, he made his way back out, careful not to look at the tub, and pulled the door shut behind him. His stomach was just starting to settle and the nausea had subsided; no point in taking unnecessary chances.

Joe flopped down on the bed with his sore arm out to the side. He felt the bed take a large dip when Bob jumped up to keep him company. The dog gave him a quick lick on his face and then did the dog nesting ritual – circled three times, pawed at the covers, and settled down with a whomp. Joe opened his eyes and looked over to see two large, baleful brown eyes staring at him. He was still rattled, but it seemed that Bob's eyes held sympathy and concern.

"Thanks, buddy." He reached over and gave the dog's ears a scratch. "Nice to know some things don't change." He started to get up and go wash off the dog drool, but one look at the bathroom door and his stomach knotted. Shit. Joe dropped back down onto the bed. How long until this bathroom phobia ended? An image of a naked Grandma Mazur popped unbidden into his mind. Could be years, he decided. The thought of never enjoying shower sex again might be his only cure.

There was no doubt in his mind that Stephanie had set him up. After he'd managed to escape from the shower, he'd scrambled into the bedroom and pulled on his jeans. He'd hurried to gather up the rest of his clothes, his sole thought was to get out of the apartment. Mrs. Mazur had come out of the bathroom cackling about a pip of a plan. He didn't stick around to hear the rest of it, he was just glad she'd put on a robe! He probably would have gone blind if she'd come out with nothing on.

Once he was out of the apartment, he'd stopped to pull on his t-shirt and crammed his feet in his shoes. That's when what the old lady had said started to make sense to him. Okay, so he would have been angry that Stephanie had ditched him for the night, but what pissed him off was that she'd used her grandmother as a decoy.

For a moment, he wondered if Manoso had also been to visit Stephanie last night. Joe figured that he'd never hear it from Manoso or Stephanie, but Mrs. Mazur had a mouth and the whole neighborhood would hear about it. That thought made him smile until he realized the same held true for his escapade. The smile disappeared when the nausea returned full force.

_One way or another, Stephanie would pay for this, _he resolved_. The sooner, the better._

_sSsSs_

Ranger sat in his Miami office and stared at the laptop's unlit screen while he tried to obliterate last night's horror from his mind. The black screen seemed to morph into a large toothless mouth. Shocked, Ranger swung his hand out and sent the computer flying off the desk into the wall, wincing when it fell to the floor where it separated into two large pieces. He dropped his aching head in his hands. The one good thing about last night was that he hadn't taken his gun into the bedroom with him; otherwise he probably would have shot the old woman. Thoughts of the headlines in the _Gazette_ filled his head – Ricardo Manoso, 32, shoots and kills Edna Mazur, 78, in what appears to be a lover's quarrel. He couldn't stop the full body shiver that made every muscle in his body cringe with revulsion.

After he'd fled back to his apartment, he'd douched his mouth with a full bottle of Listerine and then downed an entire bottle of tequila. A quick call secured a seat on the first available flight to Miami. Now here he sat in his office, hung over and hallucinating. It was going to be a long time before he returned to Trenton. Hell, by the time the Burg grapevine was done with this news he'd be old and gray.

A sharp knock on the door brought Ranger's head up. "Enter."

Max, a new employee in the Miami office, came in with a large box on his shoulder. "I picked up that case of mouthwash you asked for, where should I put it?" Max asked and then raised his eyebrows when he saw the bifurcated laptop scattered on the floor.

"Just set it down over there." Ranger pointed to couch against the wall.

"Uhm, anything else you need? Maybe a new laptop?"

Ranger shot him an angry look. "Dismissed."

Max gave Ranger a quick nod and closed the office door behind him.

"Hey, Lewis, does the boss have a drinking problem?" Max quietly asked one of the other employees who had been with the company a long time.

"Not him. Hell, he always says his body is a temple; acts like it, too. Why?"

"Well, when I picked him up at the airport, he was hung over and reeked of booze and mouthwash."

Lewis grinned, "Only one thing I know that can do that to a man and that's a woman. I cannot wait to hear the story behind this little development, but I pity the person who tells the story." Lewis laughed.

"Why?" Max asked.

"Because the boss will shoot him!" Lewis laughed even harder.

_sSsSs_

Stephanie played with the white bandage on her right hand and closed her eyes to collect herself. Her nerves were frazzled and she'd had enough. "Look, I've told you this story at least ten times now, Gaspick. Either you charge me or I'm out of here!" She'd run out of patience a few hours earlier, but had managed to keep her cool until now.

Gaspick regarded her with a thoughtful look and then nodded. "In that case, I'm holding you as a material witness, Ms. Plum." Stephanie was about to squeak out a protest when his voice cut through. "Save your witty response, Ms. Plum.

The law allows me to hold you for 48 hours. That'll be more than enough time to get the preliminary lab results back while we look for more evidence." Small frown lines gathered over the bridge of his nose, almost as if he was trying to decide if he should continue. Stephanie watched him and felt the horrible grip of fear tighten around her heart. She realized that the misogynist in him loved that she was unhappy, uncomfortable, and had no perceptible options.

"If just one piece of evidence points in your direction, no matter how small, I will charge you with murder one."

Stephanie was grateful that she was still seated because her knees went limp. She stared down at her hands and noticed the fresh white bandage had darkened with the deep red of fresh blood. She summoned all of her self-preservation and a courage she didn't feel to hiss at him, "You are an ass, Gaspick. If you dare charge me with a crime I didn't commit, it will bring me a great deal of satisfaction to sue your ass and that of Trenton Police Department for false arrest and imprisonment."

Even though she was more afraid than she had ever been in her life, Stephanie straightened her shoulders, lifted her head, and imitated her mother's most authoritative tone. "I want my phone call. Now."

sSsSs

"Talk." Tank gave a paltry attempt at controlling the anger in his voice, but he was tired. He'd just finished a double shift, thanks to Ranger's sudden disappearance, and hoped to grab a few hours of sleep before he had to join Ram to pick up a couple of outstanding FTAs. He slid his eyes over to his alarm clock and swore. 16:47. He'd only been asleep for an hour.

"Tank, where's Ranger?" Stephanie asked in a quiet, almost timid voice.

Tank rolled over onto his back before he answered. "Gone." He rubbed his hand over his tired face and waited for her next question. Her lack of response had him asking, "Why?"

Again, he waited for her response. He knew she was still on the other end; background noises flowed over the open phone line. It was almost evening and she normally didn't pick up skips at this hour because she usually had to get ready for dinner at her parents' house. He could tell she wasn't at home and the noises didn't sound like a bar – where could she be?

"I'm in trouble," she said, her voice sounded small and defeated.

"Stephanie, where are you?" Tank gritted his teeth in frustration and strained to sort out the sounds in the background. A muffled order by Stephanie for someone to 'back the fuck off' and 'what do you mean my one call has a time limit?' was all he heard and his heart tripped when the realization of that last line sank into his fatigued mind. "Where are you?" he repeated, his voice worried and stern. "Answer me."

"I'm in jail," Stephanie choked out.

"Where and why?" Tank demanded as he threw back the covers and started to pull clothes on.

"TPD and murder," Stephanie managed to say before tears fell from her eyes and closed off her voice.

"Shit," Tank muttered and hoped, too late, that she hadn't heard him. "Hang tight, I'm on my way." He hoped his words came across with more reassurance than he felt when he disconnected the call.

He yanked his pants over his ass and reached for the shirt he had discarded earlier. "I knew it, I just knew it," he voiced to the empty room. "I bet the only way a man can get a good night's sleep after Stephanie Plum enters his life is to fuck her till she's too tired to remember her own name. That's exactly what Ranger shoulda been doing instead of pulling this disappearing act." Tank finished dressing while he muttered angry words about people who refused to take care of their own damn lives. He grabbed his key and charged out the door.

He walked down the hall to Lester's door. Loud thuds ricocheted off the walls when his meaty fist pounded on the door to Lester's apartment. Tank wasn't in the mood to wait.

"What do you want?" Lester's voice sounded petulant from the other side of the door.

"Open up. We've got serious trouble." Tank continued to pound on the door.

"Shit, man. Give me a minute." Lester opened the door adorned in nothing but an ornate crucifix suspended from a slender gold chain around his neck. "What kind of trouble?"

"Stephanie's in jail. Cover your ass and find Ranger. Start with his phone, then email." Tank turned away, ending Lester's Q & A time.

Before the elevator door slid open, Tank called out over his shoulder, "Find him and haul his ass back here fast. I'll call when I know more."

"Shit," Lester said to the closed door. "Why does he always get the easy jobs? Find Ranger … fast. Sure, no problem."

_sSsSs_

Stephanie lay on her back atop the thin mattress and stared at the gray cement ceiling. She wasn't sure how long she'd been doing it; long enough not to care about the condition of the mattress or what her back would feel like tomorrow.

After Picky had locked her inside the cell, she had paced the short width of the floor until she was exhausted. Due to a close inspection of the stains and the lumpy surface of the mattress, she was motivated to continue her pacing. When her legs wobbled and felt ready to collapse, not even the notion that the bed might be covered with the same type of death cooties she was sure had once covered her sofa was no longer a concern.

There were fifty-two long cracks in the ceiling and three holes that looked like someone had thrown the sharp tip of a pencil into for effect. She knew because she had counted them untold times. The last time she was this bored was when Dickie had her on her back. How did people survive a lifetime behind locked bars? Hell, she'd only been incarcerated a few hours and she was already claustrophobic.

Thank goodness her brain had been functioning when Picky let her make her one phone call. If Grandma Mazur had a visit from both of the boys and Joe was now 'unavailable', Ranger was probably 'in the wind', as well. Once again, they were the Invisible Twins. She had made the right decision when she'd called Tank.

Stephanie shifted and groaned when she realized she'd awakened her bladder. She had been successful, up to that moment, in her attempt to avoid the very public, and very well monitored, toilet. She sighed, and rolled off the mattress.

The sound of locks opening again stilled her bathroom intentions and she turned her attention to the door. Eddie appeared and had the decency to blush as their eyes connected. Tank's large form turned sideways and entered through the narrow doorway.

"Thanks," he said to Eddie. Eddie nodded and backed out of the entrance to leave Tank alone with Stephanie.

For several seconds the two of them stared at each other. Stephanie bit her tongue, refusing to be the first one to speak. The fact that it helped to prevent her from crying was a bonus.

Tank blinked first. "Explain."

"They think I killed Eula." Stephanie held Tank's gaze. "I didn't." More eye connection followed her statement. Tank merely nodded.

"Details?" Tank asked and made mental notes of everything Steph told him as she relayed the story to him in its entirety. When she told him of her plan to leave Grandma Mazur at her place while she crashed at Dougie and Mooner's house, the light began to dawn.

"Oh," he began, and his massive chest shook with mirth, "shit, Bombshell. No one's seen Ranger since last night after he went up to your place. Lester is searching for him right now." He lost the battle and let a loud roar of laughter escape. "Oh man, Ranger's going to be, well, unpleasant when he gets here."

Stephanie buried her head in her hands and groaned out loud, "I know. It all seemed so harmless, that is, until I ended up here and needed them. They'd both rather I rot in here to teach me a lesson than to get me out!"

"They might think about it … for a minute. But don't worry; I know Ranger and he'll do what he can to help. I can't speak for Morelli, but he doesn't seem to be – well, I can't speak for Morelli." Tank folded his arms across his chest and looked her in the eye. "Are you okay for now?"

"Except for the fact that I have to pee in front of everybody, I'm fine." Stephanie managed to match the tone of her voice to his.

Tank smiled at her. "Got to pee?" A gleam of humor appeared in his dark eyes.

"Like you wouldn't believe," she stated in a matter of fact fashion.

Tank's heavy chest flexed when he laughed. "Go ahead. I'll turn my back and make sure you have as much privacy as possible."

Stephanie had her pants half unzipped before Tank finished turning away. She hurried to complete her business and then zipped her pants back up. "Thanks," she said as she washed her hands in the small metal sink.

Tank turned back around to face her. "You think you'll be okay until we can get you out of here?"

Stephanie swallowed hard. "Sure."

Tank studied her small frame. "I'll see what I can do to expedite things."

"Thanks," she answered.

Tank dipped his head and then turned to leave. Stephanie watched his broad back disappear through the door. Shit, no wonder her skips never wanted to come back to reschedule their court appearances. It was much too painful to watch your life walk away from you in this place.

_sSsSs_

Stephanie woke and flicked her eyes over her surroundings. Realization set in and she shivered at the thought that she could be here for a very long time. Her attention was diverted to the loud commotion coming from down the hall.

"Young man, I'm here to see my granddaughter and you're not going to stop me." Silence lapsed for a few heartbeats. "Open this door, now!"

The metal locks tumbled open and the heavy outer door swung open.

"Stephanie, honey, are you okay?" Grandma Mazur rushed forward, the lights in the heels of her new silver Nikes flashed bright with each step.

"I'm fine, Grandma. How did you know I was here?" Stephanie wasn't sure she really wanted to know the answer, but it was better to be the _asker_ than the _answerer_ in this case.

"Well, when you didn't make it back to the apartment in time to take me to the doctor, I got worried," Grandma Mazur said. "You didn't answer your phone, so I called Vinnie's office and Connie said you hadn't been in." Grandma paused to catch her breath. "So, I waited a little longer hoping you'd show up. When you didn't, I thought I'd stop in and see if Joe was here and if he had any information."

"Grandma, did you have any visitors last night?" Stephanie forced the words from her mouth and her eyes filled with worry. The enormous smile that spread across her grandmother's face was all the answer Stephanie needed. "What happened?"

With minute detail and much glee, Grandma Mazur put into words what had taken place between her and both visitors. Halfway through her recitation, Stephanie covered her face in horror. Oh shit! The plan had worked out so much better and so much worse than she ever imagined.

"I must say, Stephanie, you sure do know how to pick your men." Her grandmother's smile reached new heights. _Damn it!_ "The little peek I got of Joe's equipment before it deflated was very impressive, but I got to tell you, that Ranger guy is blessed. I always knew that man had an impressive package!"

"Grandma, do me a favor and keep what happened last night a secret." Stephanie held her breath and prayed that her grandmother would keep what she'd experienced mum.

"You want me to keep the best thing to happen to me in the last twenty years quiet?" Grandma Mazur raised her eyebrows and cackled with laughter.

"Please." Stephanie begged.

"Have to admit, you being in jail for murder is a good substitute. Okay, I'll keep my tongue still, but not for long!" Edna opened her arms and pulled Stephanie close. "I love you Wonder Woman, keep your head up."

"I will, and thanks. Why don't you go home? I'm sure Mom will be worried if you don't show up in time for dinner." Stephanie flopped back down onto the poor excuse of a mattress. She didn't think she could take her grandmother reminding her of _either_ package.

"You sure you're okay?" Grandma Mazur's voice was quiet, her words laced with love and concern.

"Yeah." Stephanie covered her eyes with a bent arm. "Tell Mom I'm going to be a little late for dinner."


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!_

_A/N: I'd like to thank all of you for the lovely reviews and messages. It's so nice to know that you, the readers, are enjoying the story. A huge thanks to Alf, May and Skye for all their help - without it, this story would never have been reposted._

**The Opportunist**

Chapter Five

Ranger ended his call with a sigh and sank down on the couch. He dropped his head to his hands and stared at his bare feet, shaking his head in disbelief. How did she do it? Stephanie's uncanny ability to get herself into these situations never failed to amaze him. She was like the Goldilocks of bad luck: that tragedy is too small, that one is too big, but this one is just right.

With a snarl, Ranger stood and headed to the bedroom. Lester wasn't able to give him any details of how Stephanie landed herself in jail, so he'd have to call Tank later for an update. He knew Tank's stubborn streak well enough to know that the man wouldn't go down to the police station for a small matter. She'd really landed in it this time. He pulled out his cell to call the airline before grabbing a shower.

Nothing was easy with Stephanie Plum. He'd tried to back off from her, but his own mind and heart had betrayed him. He'd tried to convince both of them she'd be happier and safer with Morelli. He even went so far as to tell her there was no emotional commitment between the two of them, no price for what they gave each other, and no room in his life for relationships. All true, as far as they went, but he couldn't make himself believe any of it. There was something about her that pulled at him, fascinated him, and refused to let go.

He avoided her for two months after that one magnificent night they'd spent together, thinking it would be enough time for her to mend things with Morelli. Then one day, by accident, he'd seen her smiling and laughing while she and Lula shared a pizza at Pino's. All the old feelings raced to the surface of his heart and he'd had no choice but to face what he'd known all along: he was in love with her. It was then he decided to tell her how he felt and that he wanted her in his life.

That's what last night was supposed to have been about; instead, the memory of last night's experience had bile rising in his throat. He'd already gone through a bottle of tequila and four bottles of Listerine and still couldn't get the taste of Grandma Mazur out of his mouth. Tactile memory had to be it. Blech! And the feel of smooth gums under his tongue… Ranger dropped the phone and made it to the bathroom just in time.

Finished with the business of being sick, Ranger flushed the toilet and reached for his fifth bottle of Listerine. He closed the toilet lid, sat down, and stared at his hand holding the bottle of mouthwash. It was shaking. Fuck, even thoughts of the crazy old woman were enough to shred his psychological and physical control. Somehow, he had to pull himself together if he was going to face them all again soon. Much too soon for his liking, thanks to the news Lester had given him.

_sSsSs_

Stephanie had cataloged every ding and squiggle of graffiti on the walls and was starting to go stir crazy. She began looking around for her next project when the sound of the metal outer door clanging open caught her attention: Oh joy, Officer, no, _Detective_ Picky, and he was headed her way with a self-satisfied smile plastered on his face. It was hard to believe that such a rotten day could get worse, but the proof had just marched up to her cell door.

She watched Picky unlock the door. Her hopes brightened for a minute when he asked her to accompany him. "Let me guess, you came to your senses and you're letting me out of this hellhole?" His smirk didn't change and Stephanie felt her stomach drop. _Yep, the day just got worse._

When he motioned her to be seated in the same interview room they'd used before, Stephanie firmly pressed her lips together. If Picky expected her to go over the same story again, he was going to have to deal with unfulfilled expectations. She'd said all she was going to say and not one word more.

Picky stood next to the door, arms crossed over his chest. He looked like he was waiting for something. That something barged through the door and stumbled to a halt just millimeters from the end of the table. Gaspick shut the door and nodded to the new arrival. "Ms. Plum, this is Officer Jennings. He's here to witness the reading of the Miranda rights and the charges being filed against you.

Charges? He'd threatened that if just one piece of evidence pointed to her, he would do it. As she opened her mouth to ask what he'd found, Gaspick spoke. _"You have the right to remain silent. If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you desire an attorney and cannot afford one, an attorney will be obtained for you before police questioning."_

All she could manage was to stare at him, mouth open, as the breath whooshed out of her lungs. He couldn't be serious. Could he? A heartbeat … he could.

"I want my lawyer."

Gaspick shoved the phone her way. Of course, her mind went blank at that exact moment. A lawyer, a lawyer … but she didn't know any lawyers except that dip-shit Dickie Orr! Who was she going to call? Her fingers automatically dialed the one number that flashed through her mind and her heart almost stopped beating when she heard the voice on the other end, 'You have reached Albert Kloughn, I'm not available right now, please leave a message at the beep.'

What the hell had she been thinking? Maybe she should hang up and pretend the call had never been answered and call Tank again.

She looked up to find Picky staring at her and realized she'd been silent too long. "Umm, Albert, it's Stephanie. I've been arrested and I could use your help. Don't bother to call me back, just come down to TPD. Thanks."

"Take her back to her cell," Picky ordered Officer Jennings. Stephanie was determined not to show Picky how scared she was, but when she tried to stand, the room began to spin and huge floating black spots appeared in front of her. Her knees buckled and she fell back into the chair.

_**The Next Day**_

The gavel slammed down, signaling the end of court and Stephanie stood frozen next to Albert at the table. She couldn't believe what had happened. The judge had deemed the evidence sufficient enough to hold her. Stephanie had heard Albert try to muddle his way through saying one of the pieces of evidence, the knife, was circumstantial, but the DA was like a viper, striking and effectively silencing Albert.

_Oh my God,_ Stephanie thought with rising panic, _if I can't prove I didn't do it, I really will go to prison! I can't go to prison! I won't survive there!_ Her mind ran through wild scenarios of prison fights, people stealing her stuff, old skips bashing her face in, and … some big, fat woman making Stephanie her bitch. The bailiff approached Stephanie to take her back to her cell. At that moment, she looked at Albert and realized he was the only thing standing between her and life in prison. _Shit! I need help now!_

_sSsSs_

A small figure sat huddled in the back of the courtroom and dared to glance up from under the brim of the hat pulled down low to cover the majority of her face. Shit, nothing like this was supposed to happen. The plan had turned into a total cluster fuck! Nobody was to have been caught for Eula's death; precautions had been taken to guarantee that there wouldn't be any complications, but apparently precautions meant nothing when Stephanie Plum was around.

With great care not to draw attention, the woman stood and quietly left the courtroom.

sSsSs

Stephanie's movements were automatic and her legs felt as if they were made of lead. Unshed tears blurred her vision and she stopped when she reached the outside of the cell.

"Sorry, Steph," Rodney, the Bailiff, said. She and Rodney had gone to elementary school together, a whole other lifetime ago.

"It's okay, Rodney." Stephanie's words were spoken just above a whisper.

He unlocked the heavy barred door and stood aside to allow her a clear entrance into the cell. Stephanie closed her eyes and took a step forward. _This cannot be happening_.

She didn't bother to turn around after Rodney locked the door. "Everything will work out, Steph. I really believe that." Stephanie kept her back to Rodney as the tears fell down her face.

"Thanks," her voice squeaked.

She listened to Rodney's footsteps as he walked away.

"Sweetie?" Mr. Plum's soft voice spoke from the other side of the bars.

Stephanie swerved around, surprised to see her father. She had been so lost in her own misery that she hadn't heard the door at the end of the hall open or close, nor had she heard her father's approach.

"I didn't do it, Dad," Stephanie blubbered.

Her father's eyes were filled with remorse. "I know that." He cleared the emotion from his throat and did a quick swipe of his hands over his eyes, hoping to hide his tears. "We'll get you out of here. Somehow."

Fire flashed in Stephanie's eyes and evaporated some of her tears. "That bastard! What does the judge mean by placing bail at seven million dollars and saying I'm a menace to society?" Stephanie propped her fists on top of her hips. "Even Vinnie would have to think twice about bailing me out. _Bastard!"_

"The high bond is because you're charged with first degree murder, but that extra little surprise didn't help you much," Albert said as he joined Mr. Plum on the other side of the bars. He dropped the cheap briefcase from his hand and worked the knot in his tie away from his stubby neck. "Who would have guessed that Eula Ruthledge had so much money socked away and would leave all of it to you?" Albert shook his head in amazement.

Stephanie narrowed her eyes and glared at the man who she felt, so far, had only pretended to be her attorney. "You weren't much help in my hour of need, Albert. What was that? Family discount performance?"

Before Albert could defend himself, the small space outside of the cell filled with other family members. "Oh my poor baby!" Mrs. Plum cried out and Mr. Plum rolled his eyes. _Damn_, Stephanie thought, _he was really good at that!_

"Don't worry, Steph, I'll help Lula out with catching your skips until you get out of the slammer," Grandma Mazur squinted a lop-sided wink in Stephanie's direction, and then formed a finger gun with her thumb and index finger. "Maybe I'll find my own hottie! One with a great package like that Ranger's." A collective groan rose from the small group. Stephanie cast a panicked glance around and hoped no one would pick up on the fact that Grandma had actually _seen_ Ranger's package.

"Mother, please be quiet. Right now we need to figure out how to arrange bail for Stephanie so that she's not _in_ the slammer at all!" Mrs. Plum said in an exasperated tone.

Rodney opened the main door at the end of the hallway and everyone turned to look at him. "Umm, I'm sorry, but everyone but Steph's attorney needs to leave now." A faint tinge of red crept up from his collar toward his cheeks. "Sorry."

Hasty goodbyes and kisses were pressed around the cold steel bars, trying to extend some comfort to the woman inside. Finally, only Albert was left. "Steph, I'll try to convince Vinnie to post bail for you, but..."

A nod from his client was the only answer he got in return.

_sSsSs_

Stephanie didn't know what time it was or how long she had been lying with her eyes closed on the piece of crap mattress, but it felt like forever. All she knew was that he had arrived. She didn't even have to open her eyes. The temperature of the room seemed to rise from the mere fact that he'd entered the room, but at the same time, a deep chill settled over her. _Guess that's what pissed off vibes feel like_. Slowly, Stephanie opened her eyes and sat up.

Ranger looked gorgeous. Angry, but gorgeous. He was dressed in an expensive pair of black raw silk slacks with a soft crease and a cream colored linen shirt, the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms. Tank, on the other hand, was dressed in his work clothes, all black from top to bottom.

"You didn't drag him away from a date, did you?" Stephanie tilted her head in Ranger's direction as she asked Tank the question. From the cold, hard look on Ranger's face, she felt it was best to leave him out of the conversation as long as possible.

No answer from either of the blank bookends. Not even a blink. _Great_.

A thunderous sound came from the end of the hall, drawing everyone's attention in its direction; even stone faced Ranger spared a glance.

"Don't you even think you can keep me out of there," a loud voice sounded from the outer room. "I'm gonna see my friend and you, you poor excuse of a man, ain't gonna stop me." Lula bounced into view. "Humph," she said as she smoothed the tight outfit of orange and yellow down over the rolling shape of her body. "Fool." She directed the comment over her shoulder and then noticed Ranger and Tank. "What the hell you standing around for? I thought you came to get her out of here?" She waved both arms in the air while she shouted.

Only Lula, a person who proclaimed to go into immediate intestinal distress the minute she came within fifty feet of a police station, would dare to deliver such a performance. Brushing past the two large, silent men, Lula approached the bars of the cell. "Well, this is a switch, a black ex-ho looking through the bars from the outside."

Stephanie looked at her friend with red-rimmed eyes and couldn't stop the smile from spreading over her face.

"Shit, I'm sorry," Lula said and then turned to poke Ranger in the chest with one of her long, bright orange polished fingernails. "Get her out of there, NOW!" Lula wrinkled up her nose. "Damn, you need to change your cologne, that shit you've got on smells like Listerine."

"Lula." Stephanie wasn't sure where the strength in her voice came from, but it gave her a feeling of false courage. "I doubt that Ranger would be willing to post bail for me. And, I'm not sure I'd want him to."

"Already taken care of it, Babe." Ranger's words brought Stephanie instant relief, but she stiffened her spine and put on a look of annoyance to hide it.

"'Bout time you showed her how much you care," Lula said without looking at him.

"Why?" Was all Stephanie could manage to say. She waited for him to answer, but all he did was stare at her. The longer he stared at her, the angrier she became.

"Never mind, Lula. My parents are working on arranging bail for me." Stephanie never took her eyes off Ranger.

"I said it was handled," Ranger repeated, the muscles in his jaw were so knotted his eyes were starting to twitch. "I paid the bail and the judge has released you into my custody."

"Your custody?" Stephanie stepped away from the bars and crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. "Exactly what does that mean?"

"Just that. I have to watch over you and, from this latest mess of yours, it appears that having someone watch over you is an excellent idea." For the first time since entering her world of confinement, Ranger looked away from her and turned to walk away.

"Forget it! I'd rather stay in here than be 'watched' over by you." Good God, she was crazy. Someone had bailed her out and now she refused to leave.

Before Stephanie could blink, Ranger had retraced his steps and stood in front of her, his hands gripping the bars from the outside. "I know you didn't kill Eula, get moving so we can figure out who the hell did."

She blinked and he was gone.

"Damn it, woman! Shut up!" Lula hissed at her friend. "Just behave so we can get the fuck out of here. I'm starting to sweat in places that a woman my size shouldn't." Lula's nervous eyes looked up and down the hallway. "Damn, I hate this place. It gives me the runs."

"I will not give that arrogant bastard the satisfaction!" Stephanie hissed back. "He is seriously pissing me off."

"Pissed off is better than being locked up!" Lula argued back.

Tank and Lula looked at Rodney. The strain he was under caused his Adam's apple to bob like a ping-pong ball. He unlocked the door and left in a hurry to return to his desk in the outer office. Lula and Tank turned their attention away from Rodney and back to Stephanie. She refused to be intimidated.

"No," she said.

"Shit! Come on, Stephanie," Tank pleaded with her. "If I have to, I will come in there and get you."

"No!" Stephanie repeated with force and then climbed onto the door and wove her arms and legs through the bars. "I will not be under his control."

"You get your skinny white ass out of this place right now!" Lula yelled and stepped inside of the cell.

"Lula, go home," Stephanie said and then shouted, "SHIT!"

Stephanie's body slumped and hung limp on the door. Lula grinned at Tank, who entered the cell and gently unwound Stephanie's arms and legs from between the bars. "Nice job," he said and smiled down at Lula.

Lula held up her trusty stun gun and smiled back. "Don't know what's with this family and animals. Her cousin likes to play around with ducks and she's as stubborn as a jackass."

Tank's deep chuckle reverberated through the hall as he carefully draped Stephanie's unconscious body over his large shoulder and headed out of the jail with Lula hot on his heels.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!_

_A/N: __ Thanks also to Alf, May and Skye for all their help. But most of all, I'd like to thank you, the readers, for all the support you've shown the story. Enjoy!_

**The Opportunist**

Chapter Six

Stephanie emitted a low painful groan and fought to open her eyes. The last thing she remembered was … damn it! Lula was a dead woman! And so was the person responsible for gluing her eyelids together. The seductive scent of Bvlgari reached her nose and she squirmed on the mattress. Damn him! She flopped over on her back and forced her eyes open. The softness of the mattress top caressed the length of her body; oh this was much better than that horrible mattress she'd had in the cell. She took a good look around. Oh joy, another new place. Hmm, since the courts had released her into Ranger's care that left two choices: a safe house or the Batcave.

She sat up and took in her surroundings. Big bedroom – correction – _huge_ bedroom. Not a lot of personal touches, but not stark either. The furniture screamed money; hell, who was she kidding? The whole room was a perfect picture of subtle luxury and someone had spent a lot of money to capture that look. She turned her head and took a mental inventory of the furnishings: a king size bed, a big, kick-ass plasma TV mounted on the wall opposite the foot of the bed, a stylish entertainment center built in underneath, a nightstand on each side of the bed, a large dresser, an armoire, and a settee, complete with coffee table; nothing felt crowded due to the square footage of the room and the high tiered ceilings.

The room's décor was in varied shades of blue with taupe accents scattered here and there – tasteful. Whoever had decorated this room had a good eye for balance. Intrigued, Stephanie rose from the bed, stood, and waited for the unsteadiness in her to legs to leave. More than anything, she wanted to know where she was. In fact, as old doubts about Ranger resurfaced, she wondered if she was still in Trenton … or New Jersey … or even the United States for that matter.

Her curiosity overrode her unsteadiness and she tiptoed across the room and jiggled the doorknob, hoping it would turn in her hand. Hope soon turned to resignation when the knob stopped halfway. Typical Ranger, she thought. Really, the man had no trust. Since her lock picking skills were nonexistent, she turned her attention back to the room. Ranger was always telling her to be more aware of her surroundings and, since she wasn't going to be leaving until someone unlocked the door, she might as well familiarize herself with them.

Where to start? Her gaze settled on the stylish entertainment center. Stephanie swore she heard it calling her name in a soft seductive siren way … _open me, Stephanie, open me. _It was almost an invitation, engraved no less, and Stephanie had enough Burg manners to RSVP.

Her feet seemed to float over the deep carpet when she made her way across the room. She paused in front of a pair of smoke tinted glass doors. _Here goes!_ She extended her index finger and pushed each of the doors. They sprang open to reveal a plethora of hi-tech electronics. On the top shelf was a Blu-Ray player, DVD player, stereo system, game system, and a few more items she didn't recognize. On the second shelf was an extensive collection of movies ranging from old black and white classics to chick flicks, CDs running the gamut from classic rock to classical, and video games, mostly war-related. My, but didn't someone have eclectic tastes.

She closed the glass doors of the entertainment center and turned her attention to the large armoire and didn't bother to stifle the gasp that escaped her mouth when she opened the doors. Black shirts and black sweaters, and lots of them; all folded and stacked with precision. The drawers underneath held more black t-shirts and pullovers. _Well, Goldilocks, I guess this answers the question of who lives here._ She moved on to the dresser and found more items of black clothing, confirming her conclusion.

Next up in her path of exploration was one of the nightstands. She pulled out the drawer and started to poke through the contents: a flashlight, some extra batteries for the flashlight, at least she hoped so; she veered her thoughts to the task at hand to keep them from heading for the gutter. "Nothing interesting in here," she muttered while she made her way around the bed to check the other one. A book, The Lessons of Terror: A History of Warfare Against Civilians, was sitting dog-eared on the corner, next to the lamp. This was his idea of bedtime reading? With a slight grimace, she dismissed the book and pulled open the drawer. Inside was a small photo album sitting on top of a wooden box, oblong in shape, with a simple insignia carved in the upper right hand corner. Wonder what that stood for?

Stephanie shot a quick glance toward the door before she snatched the album and opened it. Staring back at her was the picture of a young girl, perhaps seven or eight. It looked like a school picture, the kind where your hair is always pointing in the wrong direction, but not this time. From the sparkling dark eyes, the glossy black hair, and the beautiful smile, Stephanie was sure it had to be Ranger's daughter. She gave a quick flip through the pages and found several more pictures of the same child. Odd, Ranger wasn't in any of the pictures. Something to think about. There were a few pictures of an older couple and some pictures of a broad mix of people, young and old, taken in group settings. A small picture tucked in the seam of the album piqued her curiosity. It was a shot of two little boys, one about two years old and the other maybe four. She'd recognize those smiles anywhere, a small version of Ranger on the left and a very young version of Lester on the right. She pulled the picture out of the album and turned it over. All that was written on the back was _Summer 1981_. She flipped the picture back over and smiled, then stuck it back in place.

The last page caused her to drop down on the edge of the bed. It was a picture of her, taken outside of her apartment building. She was dressed in work gear and looked distracted. She had no idea when the picture had been taken or what she was doing at the time. She didn't know how she felt about finding it. Disconcerted came close, disconcerted _and_ disturbed was even closer.

She hurried and closed the album, placing it down beside her and reached for the wooden box, taking extra care as she opened it. Her mind boggled at the myriad of military medals resting inside against the blue satin lining. Her eyes roamed over each one and she realized she didn't have a clue what they represented, with the exception of the Purple Heart with three clusters. She knew so little about him. Her imagination had filled in the blanks with possibilities, none of which included the respect and honor resting inside the box. She closed and replaced it in the drawer and took a deep breath. Guilt started to gnaw at her. She'd known that his dark and dangerous personification was a real part of who he was, but she'd also been allowed to catch a few glimpses of the good guy he kept buried deep inside. Yet, she'd never truly believed that part of him really existed.

Stephanie placed the photo album back where she had found it and shut the drawer. Half of her knew that Ranger wouldn't be happy with her going through his very personal belongings, but the other half of her argued that he wouldn't have locked her in the same room with his possessions if he was worried about her finding them. Ranger never did anything without a reason.

There was a small hallway at the other end of the room. The contents of the nightstand had curbed her enthusiasm to snoop. The door at the end of the hall was opened enough that she could tell it was the bathroom.

She made her way down the short hall and pushed the door open all the way. Her eyes almost bugged out of her head. The room was enormous, almost as big as her whole apartment. Against the mirrored wall opposite her were double sinks set in dark granite, on her right was the water closet, and halfway down the left side was a gigantic shower complete with a bench and multiple shower heads, all at different levels and aimed in different directions, but it was the jetted tub that held her attention. Perched on a platform, the sunken tub could accommodate a small party without a problem … or a very large muscular man and a woman. She felt a pang of jealousy run through her at that thought. She tore her eyes away from the tub and headed off for the water closet.

When she was finished with her business, Stephanie decided that, since no one had come to check on her and she was still covered in jail cooties, that she had time for a quick bath. After all, a woman should always take the opportunity to indulge herself, right? She turned the taps on and then opened the decorative glass jar that sat snug on the small ledge that ran around the edge of the tub. She opened it and sniffed. Hmm … sandalwood; not her first choice, but it was bound to smell better than Eau de Prison. She poured a handful of the small beads into the hot stream of water flowing from the faucet and watched as they dissolved; if only her problems would disappear that fast.

Stephanie shed the ugly jailhouse jumpsuit and kicked it in the direction of the door. She'd take great pleasure in throwing that nasty thing away. Her clothes had been kept as evidence and there was no way she'd ever want to see them again. No amount of washing them would remove the memory of Eula's bloodstains. She stepped into the tub and sank down with a moan of ecstasy. Oh yes, this was much better than jail; in fact, it was much better than any bath she'd ever experienced in her entire life. She rolled up one of the small towels and placed it behind her neck, using it as a pillow, and laid back, allowing the gentle, pulsing streams of water to soothe away the combination of aches and pains caused by the jail's crappy mattress and Lula's little stunt with the stun gun. She felt her body surrender as she slipped off into dreamland.

With a start, Stephanie came up for air, choking on the water that had gone down her nose. _Ohmigod_, she panicked, _I fell asleep in the tub!_ The water, no longer hot, was barely tepid._ How long have I been in here?_ She wondered. _An hour? More?_ No way to tell. The one thing she hadn't noticed anywhere was a clock and she didn't wear a watch anymore, ever since she'd smashed her wristwatch taking Brutus Jones in last month.

She hopped out of the tub and started toward the shower when she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Holy shit! The moisture from the dancing bubbles had twisted her curls so tight that her hair was almost plaited to her head. Great! She looked like a show poodle, without the cute haircut. It would take her two days to work the tension out!_Oh well, nothing I can do about it now_, she thought as she stepped into the shower to wash and shampoo her hair. She walked under the shower's sprays and almost had an instant orgasm when the different water angles pelted her body. Now this was heaven!

Stephanie wrapped one of the large bath sheets around her body, pulled it tight around her chest, and tucked one edge tight inside the other. She opened the bathroom door and padded into the main part of the bedroom, then came to an abrupt halt. Ranger was stretched out on the bed, his shoulders relaxed against the headboard with his ankles crossed and his arms folded over his chest, observing her with placid eyes. "Feeling better?" At her silent nod, he visibly relaxed a fraction. "You'll find some clothes in the closet." He nodded toward the sliding doors and watched as she did her own wary look in the same direction and then brought her eyes back in his direction, casting him an accusatory look.

"Stopped by your apartment. Thought you might need a few things. Your personal items are under the sink, right-hand side." He gave a slight nod in the direction of the bathroom.

Stephanie stared from the closet to Ranger and then did the circuit again. She narrowed her eyes at the sight of him lying there looking so inviting. "Just how long are you planning on my being here?"

Ranger answered with a full two-shoulder shrug. "If this goes to trial, it could be months."

Stephanie felt her mouth drop open and fought to hide the feeling of panic welling up in her chest. She felt the towel loosen and grabbed it tight. "No … no, I can't do this."

A brief look of sadness swept across Ranger's eyes, replaced just as quick by a rueful smile. "I know you can't, Babe. That's why I've arranged for someone else to stay with you during the day. Get dressed so he can come in."

Stephanie stared at Ranger. She wasn't going to budge without some answers. "He?"

Ranger gave a wide grin. He was obviously enjoying her torment too much. "Hector."

Stephanie continued to stare. "Have you lost your mind? He doesn't even speak English!"

Ranger raised one eyebrow that translated into, 'So what's your point?'

"My _point_ is that I won't be able to communicate with him. My _point _is that I won't have anyone to talk to." _Shit, I'm arguing with an eyebrow!_

Ranger raised a shoulder a fraction of an inch. "Use sign language."

"Sign language!" Stephanie gaped at Ranger and then narrowed her eyes. There were a few Italian obscenities she'd like to sign at him right now, but she'd have to let go of the towel to give him her favorite one and that was so not going to happen. "Why are you doing this?"

Ranger's smile grew broader. "Because no one's ever gotten away from him."

Stephanie's amusement of the situation didn't match Ranger's and she showed her disgust by marching around him and into the closet. She grabbed some clothes and then stomped off to the bathroom, slamming the door with a loud bang and snapped the lock in place. With a sound of frustration, she stopped and shook her head at her own stupidity. "Who am I kidding? Both of those guys can pick a lock faster than I can take a breath," she grumbled while she shed the towel and then yanked her jeans up over her bare butt. "Thinks he can control my life! Well, we'll just see about that!" She let her anger grow while she fastened the snap on her jeans and pulled on her top and cursed at the sight of her stiff nipples showing through the soft cotton t-shirt, "Seems Mr. 'Always Prepared' forgot to pack my underwear!"

She threw the door open prepared to go round two with Ranger. Instead, she was stopped in her tracks by the sight of Ranger standing and conversing with Hector. The soft Spanish lilt of his words floated in her direction and caused her to shiver. Both men turned to stare at her, Hector's eyes opening in surprise, Ranger's darkening with appreciation.

Ranger stepped in front of Hector to block his view and his eyes raked over her body with a slow, predatory glaze. "Think you forgot something, Babe." His voice was raspy as he stepped toward her and then veered off in the direction of the closet.

"More like you forgot something," Stephanie shot back and then looked down at her chest and grimaced; what the hell had she been thinking?

Ranger reappeared and repositioned himself between her and Hector. She looked down at the bra and panties he held in his hand. "Top drawer, left-hand side."

"Oh, thanks."

"Hector may favor men, Babe, but he is a man and can still appreciate the finer points of a woman's body." Ranger reached out and gave her shoulder a soft turn in the direction of the bathroom.

When Stephanie reappeared, Hector smiled at her and she couldn't help but stare back at him. The cheek that had recently had one tear tattooed on it now had two. _Shit!_ Was he going to shoot her if she tried to sneak to the kitchen?

Unnerved, Stephaniedrew back a step and gave Hector a shaky smile. Dredging up one of the few Spanish words she knew, she titled her head and gave him a little smile. "Hola."

With a beatific smile, Hector raised his hand and answered her by pointing his finger and cocking up his thumb, "Bang, bang."

_Oh crap,_ she thought, _he has a one-track mind; he'd do it_. One ill-timed snack run and she was a dead woman. Definitely one way to give up donuts and Tastykakes.

The sound of Ranger stifling a laugh behind a cough drew her attention. "What?" she snapped.

Ranger brought his mirth in check and smiled at her. "Looks like the sign language thing is working already."

Stephanie wondered if she'd live long enough to get a tear tattoo of her own if she shot Ranger.

_sSsSs_

Joe kicked the door to his office closed and unhooked the leash from Bob's collar. The dog pointed his nose to the floor with his tail wagging high as he began to explore all the dusty corners of the room. Joe collapsed into the hard wooden chair behind his desk and extended one long leg, out of habit, to steady the uneven teetering brought on by one of the chair's legs being shorter than the other three, a result of a fight during an interrogation of a suspect. He took a sip of his coffee and shook his head. It was just too un_fucking_believable. Stephanie arrested for first-degree murder! Of Eula, no less!

He stared at the official report he held in his hands. Even after reading it from front to back twice, he still couldn't believe the level of trouble Stephanie had gotten herself into. He glanced through the report again, this time picking out just the high points, or low points, depending on who you where.

_Found at the scene with the murder weapon in her hand. _Won't stand up in court.

_Received cut from murder weapon; collateral damage from use?_ They're reaching.

_Dying Victim's words "She killed me."_ Shit.

_Unable to provide a solid alibi for the hours before the incident. _Double shit, Dougie and Mooner no less.

_Smelled suspiciously of Cannabis (marijuana). _God, Picky was anal.

_Soul beneficiary to the victim's last will. Suspect's income is irregular; past credit history shows unpaid bills, repossessions, and revoked cards._ Fuck.

Shit, only she could manage to compile a laundry list of evidence this long and still be innocent. Hell, the only thing missing was a signed confession and a video catching her in the act. And then to be released into Manoso's custody; well, that was just the final screw to this royal mess. Joe scrubbed his hands over his tired face. His plan to take a few days off had taken a turn for the worse. Heavy rains had set in yesterday, so instead of enjoying the beach, he'd been forced to stay cooped up in the motel room with Bob watching a limited number of channels on the small TV. After the second night of fitful sleep, Joe decided to throw in the towel and return to Trenton. The drive home hadn't fared much better. Bob had gotten carsick twice from watching the windshield wipers swishing back and forth.

When he'd finished reading the file for the third time, he tossed his empty coffee cup in the trash and bent down to hook the leash back on Bob's collar. A sharp pain gripped his stomach. Damn, he wasn't sure what was worse, Stephanie's latest disaster or the recurring flashbacks of Grandma Mazur. He considered taking a swig of Maalox, but decided he was already past the point where it would be effective. Joe picked up Stephanie's file off the desk, gave Bob's leash a tug and then made his way to the desk sergeant.

"Here, file this back in." Joe handed the file to Sacowski.

"She sure is in a bunch of trouble." Sacowski waited for Joe's reaction. He was looking forward to being the one to tell the rest of the guys how Morelli had reacted to the news that his girlfriend had not only been arrested, but that she'd been bailed out and placed in the sole custody of his arch rival. Instead, all he got from Joe was a tired nod of his head before he turned to walk away. "You back on duty?" Sacowski asked, hoping to continue the conversation.

Joe stopped and did a half turn. "Nope." He rested his vision on Sacowski's droopy eyes. "As a matter of fact, you never saw me, I wasn't here."

"Sure, Morelli, whatever you say." Sacowski wasn't stupid. "Umm, what if certain _people_ want to know where you are?"

"Just tell them I'm busy saving the best looking ass in Trenton," Joe replied, his voice low, not intending for the man to hear his answer, but meaning every word.

Joe made his way out the door and let Bob mark a couple of bushes, then opened the passenger door for the dog to hop in. Next stop was home. He needed to find something to eat, take a shower and grab a few hours of sleep. After that, he planned to visit Manoso.


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!_

_A/N: A huge thanks to Alf, May and Skye for keeping my words in order, they have a tough job, believe me._

**The Opportunist**

**Chapter Seven**

Stephanie paid no attention to the directives Ranger rattled off to Hector. Why should she? The diatribe was all in Spanish. Based on Ranger's tone and Hector's body language, she knew Ranger had just laid down the law. Good thing she didn't understand or she'd be using some sign language on Hector's behalf. A devious little smile appeared on her face when she picked out the words _la casa_ and a sneaky little plan began to form inside her head. _Why not?_ The smile on her face grew bigger. If he thought she would just sit here and behave while he searched for Eula's killer, well – he'd better think again! Eula had been one of her first successful skips and a regular one thereafter, and somewhere along the way, Eula had become a friend.

She tucked her black tee shirt into the waistband of her black jeans, then reached up and pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail. The edge of the bed supported her weight when she shoved her feet into a pair of black leather boots, then pulled the laces tight and tied the bow in a double knot. Dressed and ready, she stood and stomped her feet to shake her jeans down over the laces.

When she looked up, she found both men watching her with intense curiosity. Hector's thin face had a child-like smile on it. Stephanie didn't know what she had done to amuse him, but she refused to let him unnerve her. She looked at Ranger; one eyebrow was arched and his face wore a mild look of interest.

Hector's sudden laugh drew their attention. He pointed to Stephanie and then to Ranger and spewed out a few brief words to Ranger. Peals of laughter followed as he pointed his finger back and forth between them. Ranger's eyes widened and both of his eyebrows rose while he watched Hector laughter, then his expression hardened and his eyes narrowed when Hector said a few brief words to Ranger.

"What did he say? What's so funny?" Stephanie demanded.

"I've never seen him laugh," Ranger said.

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "What did he say?" she almost yelled.

"He said we look like twins." Ranger shot another angry look in Hector's direction.

"Asshole," she whispered with her own version of a scary look. It didn't scare Hector anymore than Ranger's had; instead, he collapsed onto the bed when another fit of laughter overtook him.

"Tell Mr. Giggles that I'm going to visit my mother," Stephanie ordered when she walked past Ranger and out the bedroom door.

"You want to go where?" Ranger growled and followed her down the hall.

Stephanie didn't bother to stop until she found her way to the kitchen and straight to the oversized stainless steel refrigerator. She grabbed a hold of the handle on the larger door and took a deep breath. Could she face what she would see inside? Her stomach growled. Yep, she'd risk it, even if it meant coming face to face with an unholy amount of healthy food that would send her stomach into shock.

She pulled the refrigerator door open and couldn't help but stare. "Good grief, Ranger, it looks like a bunny rabbit's wet dream in here!" Panic showed in her eyes and she grabbed the refrigerator door with both hands. "I'm hungry and all you have are vegetables!"

Ranger gave her a gentle nudge to the side, opened a small compartment in the door, reached for her hand and slapped a block of cheddar cheese into it.

"Why?" he asked as he helped himself to a bottle of water.

_There had better be more than a hunk of cheese to eat in this house. _She opened a drawer, then banged it shut and moved on to the next one. "Why what?"

Ranger blocked her from opening another drawer. He opened a narrow drawer next to the stove and extracted a paring knife and handed it to her, handle first. From underneath the cabinet he slid out a small wooden cutting board and placed it on the counter, then took the knife from her fingers and the cheese from her hand. "Why do you need to go to see your mother?"

"Real food for one thing," she mumbled as she watched him cut off a small portion of salty, fatty goodness. He held the slice out to her and she frowned. "I'm starving here." She heard him give a small sigh before he cut off a bigger slice and handed it to her. "Think about it. You know that she's heard all the rumors by now." She stuffed half of the slice he gave her in her mouth. "Do you _really_ want her to come here to visit?" she asked between chews. Ranger's face paled and Stephanie almost choked in her amusement. "I didn't think so."

Hector still wore a smile when he joined them, but his laughter had stopped. Ranger gave him quick instructions in Spanish, gave her a level stare that almost caused her to pee her pants, and then left. Stephanie continued to chew as she and Hector sized each other up.

She swallowed the last morsel of her 'meal', licked her fingers, and then looked at Hector. "Ready?" Stephanie pointed to the front door. "I can't wait to introduce you to my grandmother."

Hector graced her with another smile when he opened the door and then made a 'come-along' gesture.

_sSsSs_

Stephanie pointed out each turn to Hector while he drove with expert precision through the narrow streets of the Burg. Without a single word of English or Spanish, they arrived at her parents' house.

Both her mother and grandmother stood at the door with confused looks on their faces. Stephanie wasn't sure if it was because it wasn't dinnertime or because of Hector. _Oh joy, this is gonna be fun. Mom, Grandma, this is Hector. Feel free to say anything in front of him, I promise he won't gossip. _

She released a small sigh and walked up the front walk, her steps slow and measured like that of a doomed woman. She glanced up at the roof and made herself a promise. Today, when she did her imitation of Wonder Woman and jumped off the roof, she wouldn't rip her underwear.

_sSsSs_

Connie and Lula both jumped to their feet the minute Ranger walked through the bonds office door. Their anxiety about Stephanie overrode their usual stare, drool, and fan routine that normally accompanied his appearance.

"Is Stephanie all right?" Connie asked. Ranger noticed that her normal tough exterior had been exchanged for a worried frown, a true look of concern on her face.

"Now that you got control of our girl, what you gonna do 'bout it?" Lula planted her fists on her ample hips and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Ladies." Ranger tipped his head a fraction in their direction and then focused his attention on Lula. "I have something I'd like to discuss with you. Lunch at Big Jim's?" He almost smiled at how fast her confrontational attitude morphed into one of stunned silence.

Lula felt her knees go weak and she staggered backwards, hoping to find the support of the vinyl couch. When the back of her knees touched its solid edge, she let her behind hit the cushions. Her. Ranger. Her and Ranger. Alone together. The possibilities were endless. Nah, Batman was the kind of man who didn't do kinky in public until after dark. But maybe he wanted some ideas to try out on Steph? This could be good. Lula had some ideas, and then there was her vast personal experience and expertise…

Ranger shook off the shudder that threatened to quake his body when he saw the predatory look come into her eyes and walked to the door to push it open. "Shall we?"

Lula pulled her mind out of the gutter and looked up to see Ranger waiting at the door for her. "Uh, sure." She grabbed her purse and turned to Connie, whose face still wore the same, wide-eyed, open-mouthed expression, and winked. "If that weasel in the backroom wants to know where I'm at, just tell him I'm engaged in a business luncheon with Ranger."

Connie nodded, speechless as she watched the most improbable pair she could ever imagine sashay out the door. Well, Lula sashayed. Ranger just sort of glided like smoke.

When the door closed behind them, Connie swiveled her chair toward the back of the office. "Vinnie!" she yelled. "Get your ass out here! You're not gonna believe this!"

_sSsSs_

"Sooo, what you're saying is that you want me to dress up like a homeless person and hit the streets, get in tight with the shopping cart dwellers, and try to pick up information on Eula. Discretely," Lula said and swallowed her disappointment that the lunch wasn't a social call for the fine man in front of her.

Ranger nodded. "It's one of the areas we can't infiltrate."

Lula felt her back bristle. "Your posse can't get tight, but you think I can?" This was Stephanie and Batman, and if they needed her, she'd never say no. But damn, she felt an insult in there somewhere.

Ranger nodded again and smothered the smile that threatened to play on his lips. He understood that Lula felt insulted and decided to do some preemptive damage control.

"My guys can't pass as homeless. Their size alone intimidates most people. I need someone … smaller." When no lightening bolt struck him for his blatant lie, Ranger turned on one of his high wattage smiles. "And they're not people oriented. You, on the other hand, have a natural instinct when it comes to which people to trust and which ones to avoid. Why, you'd charm the information out of them in half the time."

Lula relaxed back into the booth and nodded her head. Made sense to her. She sat straight up when a thought occurred to her. "What am I gonna do for clothes? I need homeless clothes. You know, I don't have any rags in my wardrobe."

Ranger studied her in silence. He kept his face neutral while he took in her puce spandex leggings, violet sweater with red stripes, and her cornbraids. He thought she looked perfect for the role and then remembered how much he needed her help and pulled his wallet from his pocket and extracted five twenties.

"Hit the Salvation Army thrift store and pick up what you need. And lose the hair." He watched as Lula's eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. Time for more damage control, he thought. "I've never seen a homeless woman who had the time or the money to pay that much attention to her hair. You need to blend in."

Lula bobbed her head in agreement. "I can do that. You want me to start tonight?"

Ranger nodded. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. "Make sure you carry this with you, but keep it out of sight. Just hit speed dial two if you find out anything."

"Manoso! I want to talk to you," Morelli called when he walked through the door of the diner.

Lula cringed at the sound of Morelli's voice. He did not sound happy.

"Okay, that's it. I'm outta here. I'll call you when I get something." Lula was already halfway out of her chair, poised to beat feet.

Ranger nodded. "Lula?" His voice stopped her and she turned around. "Thanks," he said with sincerity. "From both Stephanie and me. You're a good friend."

Lula looked at the floor to hide her embarrassment. "Yeah, well, works both ways. She's always been there for me and believed in me when no one else did. She's my best friend."

Ranger gave his full attention to Lula and ignored the angry cop who slid into the booth to take Lula's place. "Later."

Lula flipped a nervous glance in Joe's direction and then sent a quick nod to Ranger before she hustled out the door. Morelli watched for a few moments and then turned a scowl in Ranger's direction. "I want to know what the hell is going on with Stephanie, Manoso."

Ranger shifted his attention to Morelli and wondered if the man had heard what he'd just said, without the comma of course – Stephanie Manoso.

_sSsS_

The man leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, with his arm thrown across his forehead. He'd felt nauseous all day. He ran his fingers through his styled hair. "Shit, how could this have happened? This should have been nothing more than an unsolved homicide of a homeless old bag lady. Who the fuck cares about them? Cops would have given it the bare minimum investigation, then filed it under 'Pending', and then after a little while, it would be filed under 'Unsolved' and forgotten. The end." He shook his head. "Jesus, how the hell does Stephanie do it? She's a total disaster area."

The woman watched him, puzzled why he cared. She unfolded her small body from the chair she sat perched on and walked behind the desk. She started to massage his tight neck muscles in a slow, soothing motion. "What difference does it make if she's found guilty or not? You said she's always been a pain in the ass."

He made an indistinct sound while she continued to knead the tension from his neck and shoulders. It might have been for pleasure, or agreement, or just one of those things men did when they didn't know what to say.

"She has been a pain in the ass, but even she doesn't deserve this. I've got to find a way to slant the evidence in a different direction. With Kloughn as her attorney, there's no way she'll be acquitted," the man swore under his breath. "If possible, he's an even bigger disaster."

"Listen to me, sweetie," she entreated him. "It's bad enough that she's got Manoso on her side, but when I stopped at the station to pick up some files, I heard a rumor that Morelli is also on her case. If you try to redirect the evidence, you may very well find it pointing straight back at you and I'd be very, very upset if that were to happen." She let her fingers glide down his neck to his toned chest where she let her fingertips play across his nipples beneath the oxford shirt.

He groaned and lifted his hand to cover her smaller one. "You're right." He allowed his head to brush back against her breasts to let her know that he wanted to take things to the next level. "I'd be very upset if that happened, too."

Behind him, she smiled in satisfaction. "Good, I'm so glad we're still on the same page." _Fool_, she thought, _men are so easy_.

_sSsSs_

Stephanie looked over at Hector and watched while he maneuvered the truck with ease out of her parents' neighborhood. She had no idea what Ranger's exact instructions to Hector were, but she decided to test their limits with one small, but very necessary, stop. Besides, if she were to judge, Hector's enthusiasm for food rivaled hers. He had sat in the kitchen with a happy look on his face while he consumed plateful after plateful of her mother's cooking while the three women talked. The only time he'd torn himself away from the table was when she'd tried to make an escape.

She'd pretended to go to the bathroom and she'd slipped out the window, then carefully made her way around to the roof of the garage. One glance over the edge had her head in a tailspin, but the coast was clear. "Remember, no ripped panties this time," she pledged, then closed her eyes, took a deep breath and jumped. Her eyes popped open when she'd landed into a pair of thin, but strong arms.

Hector just stood there with a smile on his face while he cradled her in his arms. Stephanie sighed in defeat when he released her and shook his finger in a no-no fashion, then pointed at the tattooed tears falling from his eye.

Stephanie gulped and followed him back inside like a good little captive. Once they were settled back in the kitchen, he'd resumed his feast. Well, at least she hadn't torn her underwear this time.

The truck eased to a stop at a red light. Well, it's now or never. "Hector!" He turned to face her and raised an eyebrow in question. Stephanie pointed out the turns to take until they reached the market. Once they'd pulled in to the parking lot, Hector again raised his brow in question. "Trust me, unless you want to eat fruits, twigs, and nuts, you'll thank me for this."

He gave her a blank stare and cocked his head. Stephanie felt her frustration level rise. _Fine, Ranger said use sign language, then that's what I'll do_. She opened her door, stepped out, and jerked her thumb at the entrance. "Move it, buster." Hector moved.

An hour later, Stephanie sat in the truck while Hector loaded the bags in the back. She closed her eyes and smiled. This sign language thing might work out okay after all. When the food had been rung up, she'd stood there and waited, then gestured from Hector to the cashier. He'd grinned and shook his head as he'd handed over the credit card. Yeah, sign language would work, at least for the simple stuff.

Hector got in the driver's side and shut the door. She smiled and imagined how Hector would explain this to Ranger. One hundred and eighty-two dollars worth of junk food. She had to repress the urge to laugh out loud.

With that happy thought, Stephanie closed her eyes and settled into her seat to enjoy the ride back to – where? Was her current 'cell' the real Batcave?


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!_

_A/N: A huge thanks to Alf, May and Skye, three wonderful ladies who keep my scribbles in order. _

**The Opportunist**

Chapter Eight

They were predators. Large, silent, deadly predators. The occupants of booth number eighteen stared at each other, gazes unwavering. Customers at nearby tables offered nervous glances and hurried to finish their meals while the silent countdown to a possible explosion ticked away in their heads. No one wanted to be anywhere close to ground zero when that bomb went off.

"You didn't answer my question," Joe stated; the muscles in his jaw knotted tight with anger and his eyes drilled in on Ranger's. Given the past few days, he wasn't in the mood to deal with any more of the bastard's opportunistic ways. Ranger's comment the other day about the escalation of his relationship with Stephanie had been a heavy blow to Joe's gut, but that situation would have to wait until he and Stephanie could discuss it in private.

"She's safe," Ranger answered. He kept his response vague because it amused him to bait Morelli, but also because he had no intention of allowing his plan to be interrupted.

"Where?" Joe narrowed his stare. He knew Manoso's tactics and he'd exhausted his patience in dealing with them.

"Right now?" Ranger raised an eyebrow, but kept his eyes locked on the other man's. Joe gave a curt nod. Ranger glanced at his watch and then reconnected his eyes with Joe's. "She's at her parents' house."

"Her parents' house!" Joe yelled and the patrons around them fell silent. He rolled his eyes and slumped back in the booth. "That's your idea of keeping her _safe_?"

"Hector's with her and besides, how many people do you know that would want to be within range of Grandma Mazur's bony fingers?" Ranger faked a quick smile in an attempt to keep any signs of that nightmare off his face.

Joe had to force himself to breathe at the mention of Grandma Mazur. He sat back up and rested his forearms on the table. "Hector? Small guy, doesn't speak English, and has his kill ratio tattooed on his face in the form of a teardrop?"

"Two," Ranger answered and held up two fingers.

"Two?" Joe furrowed his brow in confusion. "Two what?"

"Teardrops," Ranger replied.

"Shit," Joe blew the word out through clenched teeth. "And how is she safe with him?"

Ranger smiled at the look of horror on the other man's face. He could just imagine the flood of stomach acid forming in the man's gut. "No one's ever escaped from Hector. He's better than any incarceration bracelet."

Joe released a sharp syllable of laughter. "There's always a first time."

The truth of that statement silenced both men.

"Is she okay?" Joe asked. He hadn't seen her since that day in the bonds office and, even though she set him up for a big fall, he still intended to be the _only_ man in her life despite Manoso's intentions.

"As well as can be expected for someone who's been accused of murder and had her freedom taken away."

Joe stood up to leave.

"Sit down, Morelli."

"Go to hell, Manoso."

"Already been there, took me two months to get out. Sit down. We have a few more matters to discuss." Ranger kept his face schooled into a neutral expression while he watched the fury build on the cop's face.

"Listen, Manoso, you can't keep her away from me," Joe hissed and pointed his finger at Ranger.

"Yes, I can. I put up her bail; the courts released her into my custody. That makes her my concern."

Joe slid back into the booth, the pulse on the side of his neck throbbing in anger. "She is not your concern, she's mine. I demand that she be with me, I can protect her."

Ranger crossed his arms over his chest. "The courts see it differently. Besides, I have an investment to protect."

Joe smacked his hand down on top of the table so hard it caused the glasses to jump and clink. "Whatever you think your investment is, you can forget it. You're not _investing_ a damn thing with her, now or later when this whole mess is resolved. Are we clear?"

"Our one objective is to clear Stephanie of the charges leveled against her. I've hired another attorney to represent her, Anderson McKinley."

Joe released a low whistle. "That's gonna cost you some major bucks."

"If her fate was left in Kloughn's hands, she'd spend the rest of her life in prison."

Ranger watched the man across from him start to play with the unused silverware on the table and waited while he struggled with his position in the situation. For the first time in a long time, Ranger put himself in another person's shoes. He'd hate it if someone else had control of his destiny.

"I'd like to help pay her legal costs." Joe met Ranger's steady look with one of his own.

"No need, Rangeman pays McKinley a handsome retainer, but I appreciate the gesture and I'll let Stephanie know you offered."

"I want to talk to her. I need to hear her side of the story. I need her details to work it from my end." From the look on Joe's face, Ranger knew this point was not open for negotiation.

"I agree. I'll relay your message, but it will be her decision whether to talk to you or not. That's the best I can do."

Morelli nodded in agreement.

Ranger stood and straightened his jacket then removed his wallet from his back pocket and dropped a handful of bills on the table. He turned to leave when Morelli called to him and he turned around to face the other man still seated at the table.

"I'm curious," Joe said and turned his gaze to the glass of water on the table and began to roll it between his hands. "Was Steph as mad at you as she was at me?"

Ranger felt his stomach clench. "Yeah."

Both men suffered a visible shudder and refused to look at each other. Ranger turned and walked out of the restaurant with purposeful steps; he wanted to get away from the memories Joe's question had brought to mind.

_sSsSs_

Lula walked through the office door and froze at the sight of her reception. She cast an apprehensive look between Vinnie and Connie. "Who let you out of your cage?" she shot at Vinnie before she stomped inside and tossed her purse on the ancient monstrosity of a couch.

"Spill it." Connie pointed at her with the sharp tip of her nail file. "Every last fucking detail."

"Not till the animal is back in his cage." Lula's tight braids swung in unison as she bobbed her head in Vinnie's direction.

"Oh, hell no! I'm worried about Steph, too, she's family," Vinnie argued.

Lula grunted. "White Girl might debate that."

"Spill it, plus size." Connie's tone left no room for further discussion. "Now."

Lula made quick work of giving them a factual replay of Ranger's request. She did, however, embellish on his comments about her beauty and fashion sense. "So Ms. Aqua Net, you ready?"

Connie locked her desk, grabbed her purse, and flew out of the office door before either of them could blink.

"Dang, those short legs of hers sure can move," Lula muttered while she hurried to catch up. Connie waited for Lula in the parking lot behind the office. Right next to Vinnie's Cadillac.

"Oh no, I will not ride in the pervert's car," Lula said and shook her head so hard her braids danced around her head.

"How many homeless women do you know that drive cars, let alone a bright red Firebird?" Connie asked.

"You are one mean bitch." Lula looked at Connie. "Mean."

Connie smiled and unlocked the doors. "Come on, we've got work to do." She slid in behind the steering wheel and started the engine.

"Does our medical insurance cover tetanus shots?" Lula grumbled as she got in.

Connie parked the car down the block from the Salvation Army store. "Give me the money Ranger gave you." Connie held out her hand.

Lula pulled her face back in surprise. "Why in the hell would I give you the money?"

Connie tapped her fingernails on the steering wheel. "You're supposed to be homeless, not brainless. What homeless person would have money to go shopping?"

"Bitch," Lula countered but dug deep in the bowels of her purse for the twenties Ranger had given her.

Connie plucked the money from Lula's hand and made for the store.

"Damn, woman, slow down!" Lula huffed to keep up with her.

Connie had already selected several items by the time Lula's short, fat legs managed to catch up.

"That … ain't … my ... size." Lula gulped large breaths of air between her words. She yanked the large, hideous pair of black pants out of Connie's hand and shoved them back onto the rack.

"Right." Connie shook her head and retrieved the pants.

"They're ugly." Lula balled her fists on top of her considerable girth of hips.

Connie shoved the selection of clothes into Lula's chest. "Take these. You're supposed to be grateful."

"Grateful don't mean I have to look unattractive," Lula fought back.

"You're supposed to look homeless – not like a 'ho." Connie squeezed her eyes closed with regret the moment the words left her mouth. "I'm sorry, Lula."

"Humph. I can do homeless. Been there a time or two in my life." Lula didn't look at Connie. "Just some people are better at seeing the real me than others are."

"Look, don't get all pissy on me. I'm sorry. Besides, I don't think of you that way." Connie had the good grace to blush. "I just spoke without thinking."

"You sure did." Lula reached in front of Connie and pulled out a large man's raincoat off the rack. "This should cover up those nasty pants." Lula held the coat up against her front. "Now, all I need are shoes."

Connie followed Lula to the back of the store. Lula kicked off her high heels and padded barefoot in search of the perfect pair of boots that would complete her ensemble. "Perfect," she said and turned to find Connie trying on a pair of ancient tennis shoes. "What the hell are you doing?"

Connie stood and examined her feet. "You don't think I'm going to let you be the only one to help Steph out, do you?"

Lula started to argue, but then a slow, mischievous smile spread across her face.

"What?" Connie asked and her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"I can't wait to see you without hairspray!" Lula wasn't able to stop her laughter.

"Oh, shit!" Connie swore and her eyes filled with panic.

_sSsSs_

Stephanie rolled over onto her back and groaned. She hadn't thought it possible that her stomach could hold $99.98 worth of junk food. Well, that would be true if she'd managed to swallow the last bit of Chubby Hubby that rested midway down her throat. Maybe if she stayed in this position it would just melt and she wouldn't have to swallow. Then again, she could end up choking on the chunk of pretzel hidden in there somewhere.

"What in the hell!" A deep male voice bellowed from the direction of the kitchen.

"Batman's home," Stephanie managed to say around the soft lump of ice cream as she worked herself upright on the couch. She could feel the vibration of each stomp he took from the kitchen to the entertainment room.

"Holy shit!" Ranger's voice exploded when he looked around the room. "It looks like aisle ten of the supermarket blew up in here!" His nostrils flared as he breathed in and out in violent succession. His eyes darkened, but hints of red, dragon-like anger simmered in them.

"You know the numbers of the aisles in the supermarket?" Stephanie's eyes opened wide in amazement and then smiled when she realized she'd pressed one of his emotional buttons.

Ranger turned his fiery gaze in Hector's direction and a stream of Spanish flew from his mouth. Hector just grinned. The more Hector grinned, the faster Ranger spoke. Stephanie watched the little drama with amusement. _Seems Batman doesn't have the same control in Spanish as he does in English._

"Stop!" Stephanie shouted and was startled when Ranger did stop his Spanish rant to turn angry eyes her way. She took a step back, but kept her voice firm. "What is your problem?"

His entire body and face were motionless, but his eyes spoke volumes. Stephanie took another backwards step. "You. You're my problem!"

That did it. All fear drained away and anger rushed in to replace it. Stephanie's body trembled with rage when she took a step closer to him. "You chose to make me your 'problem' when you bailed me out. Did I ask for that? No. Did you miss the fact that Lula had to stun me to get me to leave that awful place? Or maybe you're delusional Ranger? Maybe you thought I'd sigh my thanks, flutter my eyelashes, and climb into your bed, unable to stop myself from offering you a demonstration of my gratitude?"

Stephanie ignored the increasing number of sparks in Ranger's eyes and the tightness of his jaw when she advanced a step closer. "Maybe we should keep a tab again, huh? That would mean I'm still in your debt. I figure all the times you showed up at my apartment uninvited cancels out the food bill, but the bail money? There's no way I can ever pay that back to you." Stephanie sat down on the couch to remove her boots, then stood up, pulled her t-shirt free from the waistband and unzipped her jeans. "So I guess I'd better get started on what I owe you. That's what _friends_ do, isn't it, Ranger?"

Ranger's hand shot out to still hers. Without moving his eyes from her face, he barked a command at Hector, who quickly lost his grin and backed out of the room. When the door closed with a soft click, Ranger spoke, his voice low and tight. "You think this is about the food? I don't give a damn about the food, other than it'll kill you."

Before she could open her mouth to respond, Ranger gave her a slight shake. "Stephanie, listen to me! I bailed you out because I care about you, I care what happens to you, and I have the money to do it. _That's _what friends do."

"Really? You're not acting like we're friends. If you're so angry with me, let's have it out right now, Ranger. You're angry with me, you want to punish me. Fine, punish me. Give it your best shot." Stephanie's breath came in rapid pants; her anger had reached the boiling point. If she thought she could have gotten a shot in, she would have smacked a hand across his stony cheek, anything to get a response from him other than his damned emotionless stare.

"Stephanie–"

"No, Ranger. I mean it. Just don't look at me like you don't care anymore. I won't tolerate it!" Just like that, her emotions broke loose and, with horror, she felt her eyes grow moist. His hard, distant eyes pierced hers and, with a snort of disgust, she shoved her hands against his chest to gain some distance from him, but suddenly his hands were in her hair. He pinned her body to his, torso to torso, pelvis to pelvis, and thigh to thigh.

"I've never asked you to repay me, ever." She felt his heart banging against her chest, or was it hers? She could no longer tell. So close was her body pressed against his, she didn't know where his began and hers ended. Somehow the energy between them changed and, just as quickly as it had flared up, her anger died down to be replaced by an even more disturbing sensation: white-hot need.

With bravery she no longer felt, she said, "Whatever it is, I want to end it.

He slid his hands from her hair to scoop beneath her arms and lifted her until she was nose to nose with him. "You want to end it? Fine, but you'd better be damn sure you know what you're asking."

Try as she might, she couldn't draw a full breath and felt on the verge of hyperventilating. The look in his eyes changed from cold, hard anger to hot, virile lust. He stared at her tongue when she wet her lips. "Please, I want to end this. I need to know."

He dropped her to her feet and moved one hand to her t-shirt, then gave it a gentle tug upwards while his other hand pulled her closer. "If you don't stop me, I promise you, Stephanie, I _will_ ruin you. I'll make you forget Joe Morelli or that any other man ever existed in your life."

His touch ignited her skin and, for a brief second, Stephanie feared the light fabric of her t-shirt would go up in flames. Nothing could have prepared her for the way her body reacted to him at that very moment, not even the one glorious night they had shared together. Dark, lustful eyes bored into hers; his grasp twisted and tightened around the handful of shirt until it knotted just under her breasts. Neither of them managed to draw a single steady breath.

The light touch of his fingertips on her waist changed to a strong hand splayed open to cup one of her buttocks. Rational thoughts were replaced by raging hormones, neither one of them could stop what had just been started.

Ranger slammed their lower bodies together and covered her mouth hungrily with his. He swallowed the gasp that escaped from between her lips at the contact of their bodies.

Stephanie's head went back with the force of his kiss and she grasped his ass for balance. His tongue delved deep into her mouth, possessive and eager to claim every part of it. Her tongue danced in time with his; both trying to devour the other, not taking the time to breathe.

Her pelvis ground against his hard length with an almost savage desire. Two of his fingers slipped from the knotted fabric to play with the tight, sensitive nipple that begged for attention through her shirt.

Unable to contain the low erotic moan that rose from her throat, Stephanie pulled her mouth free. He watched her eyes close and her head roll backwards to one side.

"Stephanie." Ranger's voice was low and husky. Unfazed, she continued to grind their lower bodies together. "Stephanie, stop!" Ranger repeated and forced a sharp edge to his voice before he pulled their bodies apart. "This can't happen."

"The hell it can't," Stephanie shot back and reached for his belt, undid it and the button underneath.

"I said no." Ranger tried to control her hands, but she leaned in and bit the small erect nub of his nipple.

"We're going to end this. Right here, right now." Stephanie took great care to slide the zipper of his pants down over his erection. "You have twisted and played with my emotions almost from the first day I met you. Now it's my turn. Besides, Mister_ I'm an Opportunist,_ you're not the only one who can take advantage of an opportunity."

She was on her knees before his engorged penis could spring free, and without the slightest hesitation, sucked him deep into her mouth.

Stephanie ignored his resistance and continued to stroke his cock with a greedy tongue. The movement of his hips and the tightness of his balls were proof enough that he wasn't about to stop her. She relaxed her throat and took him deeper inside. She pulled back slowly over his tight length and let her teeth give the silky skin a gentle scrape, then stopped just under the pronounced flare of the head of his penis to play her tongue and lips around its smooth contour.

"Damn you!" he hissed when he gave in to his needs and fisted his hands in her brown curls.

With one hand she massaged his balls while her other hand stroked every inch of him. When his grasp in her hair started to relax, she sucked him deep down her throat and squeezed him at the same time.

"Jesus!" Ranger gasped and struggled to stay upright. He knew he couldn't hold out much longer. "Stephanie, please."

In one final effect, Stephanie drew as much of him in as she could while she gently caressed his tight scrotum. When his hot stream shot down her throat, she continued to work him in her mouth until he was dry. Then, and only then, did she release him.

Ranger freed the fistful of hair that had been his lifeline; he bent forward to lift her off her knees and pulled her into his arms. "Nobody can get to me like you." He kissed her mouth with a kiss so hot and passionate it left her dazed. "Just remember, _Ms. Opportunity_, I warned you."

_sSsSs_

Tank walked into the house and found Hector seated at the kitchen table cleaning one of his many guns. "Stephanie?"

Hector pointed down the hall.

"Ric?" Tank dreaded the man's answer.

Hector looked at the large man before he pointed in the same direction.

"Fuck," Tank mumbled.

Hector nodded his head and started to laugh. "Sí."


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer:__ Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!_

_A/N:__ Thanks also to Alf, May and Skye for all their help. But most of all, I'd like to thank you, the readers, for all the support you've shown the story. Enjoy!_

**The Opportunist**

Chapter Nine

Lula and Connie snuck out of the homeless shelter and headed back to the bonds office through the dark, narrow alleys off Hamilton. They walked side by side down the center of the alley, too scared to stay in the shadows for fear of rats. Every so often, one of them would throw a furtive look back to make sure they weren't followed.

"What do you think of–" Lula trailed off when Connie gave her head a frantic shake and nudged Lula with her elbow hoping to send a clear message to 'shut up!' "Okay, okay. I can see you got a headache and I can shut my mouth."

"Good," Connie whispered her appreciation of Lula's cover up, "because you talk too loud, woman."

Lula glared at her friend, but didn't say another word. Her glare turned to shock when a tall figure stepped out in front of them. "Hey ladies," he slurred. "Why don't you empty your pockets and show me what you've got?"

The women stood frozen in place, the shadows too deep to make out the man's facial features. "Are you serious?" Lula blasted out in a humorous tone. "Do we look like we got anything?"

The man hesitated for a second then shoved a knife at Lula. "Just do what I said, fatso!"

"Let's just show him what we've got–"

"OH NO YOU DIDN'T!" Lula screamed and charged the man; her anger full-blown, his knife forgotten. "Who you calling fat, you skinny assed wimp?" She brought her booted foot down onto the man's toes and shoved an elbow into his gut, the knife clattered to the ground with a 'chink'. She brought her knee up into his groin and ended her rampage with a sound punch to the jaw. He dropped to the ground with a thud and a weak groan of pain.

Connie stared at the crumpled heap with her mouth open in shock. When Lula bent down to pick up the knife, Connie snapped out of her stupor and screamed, "What the hell were you thinking? Are you trying to get us both killed?"

"Stupid fool called me fat. No one calls me fat. I'm not fat; I just never grew tall enough for my eating habits is all." Lula sniffed and took a step toward their destination, then paused and looked back at Connie. "Move it, pansy ass."

Afraid to hang around, Connie ran over to Lula and fell into step beside her. Five minutes later, they stood at the back door of the bonds office. Connie's hands were still shaking from the encounter and she struggled to get the key into the lock in the meager light provided by a light at the far end of the alley. "Can't see a damn thing," she grumbled, more to herself than anyone else.

"Well, well, well. If the new girls haven't already gotten themselves into something big…" Wanda, a regular at the shelter who had sniped at them all night for being the 'fresh meat', stepped out from the shadows. "I knew you two needed to be watched."

Connie and Lula turned and stared at the woman, both speechless. They'd thought they'd been so careful when they left the shelter, but Wanda, a tall, large-boned woman, proved to be better at invisibility. She took a step closer to them and they took a step back in unison, unsure of her intention.

"Just gonna see if we can get into this place. Heard they don't lock up their cash at night." Lula spoke first and Connie's knees threatened to buckle with relief because she hadn't been able to come up with an adequate explanation. She slipped her hands into the pockets of her coat and dropped the office key inside to hide it.

"Go on then. Let's do it. Knew you girls were my kind of people." Wanda shot them a wide smile which revealed two teeth missing on the right side of the front four, and another one on the left. "Not good to leave money unattended; best for someone to hang on to it, like me."

Connie gulped and moved to the lock. She pulled one of the hairpins out of her pocket she'd brought along in case she needed to secure the frizzled mass of her unsprayed hair. She stuck it in the hole and made an awkward attempt to release the mechanism while she turned the knob. The entire time, she prayed she didn't accidentally unlock the door.

"Girl! Why you the one to bust open the lock? You ain't got no skills. Here, let a pro show you how it's done," Lula said from behind her. Connie rolled her eyes then turned around to hand over the pin to Lula and tried to communicate that she didn't _actually_ want the lock jimmied.

Lula grunted and shoved the pin through the hole. She twisted right, then left and grunted every time she tried to flip the catch. After a few moments and some creative swearing, she turned around and huffed, "Stupid lock is broken. I can't get in!"

Wanda looked at both of them as if they'd grown horns. "You mean to tell me the two of you just decided to break into this place without checking it out first?"

The women, as a single unit, lowered their heads in shame. "First time I've been desperate enough to try," Connie mumbled.

"Me too," Lula said with pursed lips. "Damn lock. I bet the door don't even open."

Wanda howled with laughter at their perceived stupidity. "I've never seen such clumsy thieves in my entire life!" She turned around and walked back down the alley. Her loud laugh faded when she reached the corner where she waited for them to join her. She wanted to keep an eye on them just in case they tried the door again.

Lula turned to Connie and said, "Seems to me we better not come back here till we've gathered enough Intel for Batman."

"Intel? Is that what you call it?"

"Sure. It's what Batman does. He puts a man inside to gather intelligence. We're his intelligence gatherers." The large woman's eyes narrowed at her friend. "What do you call it?"

"More like you and me acting out the parts of 'Tweedle Dee' and 'Tweedle Dum'. God, I thought you really were going to open the door from the way you talked." She swatted Lula on the arm. "You scared the shit out of me!"

"You hit me again and it ain't all I'll scare out of you."

"Let's just head back to the shelter before we run into anymore trouble. Looks like we're sleeping on the cots tonight," Connie muttered and tipped her head in Wanda's direction.

"Guess I didn't think _this_ one through. I've got me a bad back, too. Batman owes me more than a few twenties for some nasty ass clothes!" She followed behind Connie, who had started the walk back to the shelter. "And what about a shower? I can't sleep in this stink!"

Connie rolled her eyes up to the skies as if to ask, 'Why me?'

_sSsSs_

"Christ, Cheryl, that feels fantastic." She stoked her hands up and down his naked back in slow, even motions, and manipulated his muscles in a way designed to fill him with contentment and desire.

Poised above him, Cheryl smiled. Shit, this is just too easy. When this mess was straightened out and the money rested safe in her hands, she'd be gone before he knew what happened. _A challenge_ _is what I need, a man who can challenge me_. "Roll over, sweetheart, and I'll make the front feel even better."

With a groan of anticipation, he complied with her request. He knew just how good she'd make him feel. He'd had his share of women, but he had to admit Cheryl's sexual talents beat them all. Maybe he'd keep her around for a while, at least until he found a replacement who exceeded her expertise.

And so they mimicked the dance of love, each with their own agenda, their own hidden needs. It worked well for them, for reasons they concealed from each other.

_sSsSs_

Joe tried not to look at the clock again, but failed – 4 a.m. He cursed and threw the twisted sheet off his body. He'd tossed and turned the entire night. Why hadn't Stephanie called? His jaws tightened when the answer made its way through his sleep-deprived mind. _Because she's with Manoso, stupid._

He swung his legs to the floor and shuffled toward the bathroom. Fatigued and distracted, he struck his big toe hard against the leg of the bed. "Fuck!"

Joe hobbled around trying to work through the pain while he looked for something to hit. He spotted a target, cocked his arm back, and threw a powerful punch. The center panel of the bathroom door cracked from the force of his angry blow.

An hour later, Joe slung the station door open with enough force to unhinge it and limped inside. He ignored the amused look from the desk sergeant and continued back to his cluttered desk. A quick sift through the two-inch pile of new messages stacked next to his phone didn't alleviate any of his anger. He needed to find out where the sneaky bastard had Steph hidden.

The courts sealed Manoso's address under the argument that it also served, at times, as a safe house used by the government. For three years, he'd turned over every rock in Trenton in an attempt to find out where the snake lived.

"Thought you'd be out searching for evidence to clear your girlfriend." Joe looked up to see Gaspick standing on the other side of the desk, his face covered with a slimy grin and a thick file in his right hand.

"Get out of my face." Joe's eyes narrowed and his lips thinned into a frown.

"Hey, I just did my job." Gaspick held up his free hand in a shrug. "Not my fault she's too stupid to figure out how to murder someone and not get caught." Before Gaspick could form his next thought, Joe pounded his fist into the man's nose and knocked him to the floor. Blood and papers flew everywhere.

Joe rubbed his knuckles when he looked down at the unconscious piece of shit, his fury past the boiling point. Damn, now his hand hurt even worse. He started to step over Picky when his eyes caught sight of a small piece of paper clipped to the inside of the now empty folder.

**Manoso - 465 King Blvd.**

He reached down and plucked the paper out from under the paperclip. "Well, well, well. Ready or not, Manoso, here I come."

_sSsSs_

"Ric." Tank's voice dragged Ranger's mind away from the images of a naked and satisfied Stephanie he'd replayed over and over again since he reluctantly left her passed out from exhaustion in his bed. He kept his head down and concentrated on the papers in front of him, determined to ignore his friend.

"Ric." Tank raised his voice to a more insistent tone this time and leaned toward Ranger in order to give him a direct stare.

Ranger lifted his eyes and met Tank's stare with one of his own. He knew what Tank wanted to talk about, but the discussion would have to wait. Stephanie had surprised the hell out of him yesterday with her advances and he needed to figure out how things had gotten so out of hand. He'd told her he would ruin her for any other man, but what she didn't know was that she had ruined him for any other woman. "I'm busy. Make it quick." Quick was exactly what Stephanie had been when she robbed him of his ability to think clearly last night. He'd carried her off to bed and found seven, or was it eight, different ways to make her scream his name. Just the memory of the last time had him hard again.

He'd held her in the 'X' position, facing each other with her legs spread over top of his, and gripped her hips to drag her back and forth over his cock. When her moans grew in volume, he coaxed her to look down between their bodies and watch as their bodies blended in the most primal way. The orgasm that ripped through her made her muscles squeeze him so tight it nearly sent him rocketing off the bed. Wild with pleasure, he'd dragged her up onto his lap and preceded to pound the daylights out of her until he'd come so hard he'd gone temporarily blind.

Unable to contain his outrage any longer, Tank exploded, "Care to explain about you and Stephanie?" A raised eyebrow was the lone response Tank received from his friend. He crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side.

Ranger lowered his eyes and pretended to scan the paperwork on the desk. "Not your business."

"The hell it isn't! You've forgotten your role in this mission. Find Eula's killer and prove Stephanie's innocence. Remember?" He leaned down over the desk and planted his hands on the smooth wood surface. "Or did you change your focus?"

"They're different issues. We find Eula's killer. You let me worry about my focus." Ranger pushed aside the papers and stood to reclaim some of the personal space Tank had taken away. "Understood?"

Tank wanted to laugh at the denial; instead he straightened to his full height and crossed his arms over his chest. "Bullshit. You can't fool me, I know you too well."

Ranger mimicked Tank's pose and gritted out, "They _are_ separate issues."

"Right. Tell me you haven't wanted her for two years." Tank dropped his arms and hooked his thumbs into his front pockets. "You're breaking your own rules. How do you expect the men on the team to respect your decisions when you make the wrong ones?"

Ranger stared at Tank with angry eyes. Thoughts and emotions swirled through his mind, but he refused to latch onto them. Tank was right, though Ranger wouldn't admit it.

"You're thinking with the wrong head, man." Ranger remained quiet and Tank laughed. "So much for self-control."

Ranger's shoulders slumped and he sat back down in his chair, tilted his head back to the headrest and closed his eyes. "It was an aberration. Won't happen again." A vision of last night's aberration popped unbidden into his mind. Stephanie straddled over his hips, head back, throat exposed, and breasts bouncing in time to her movements. The image was so vivid; he could almost taste her sexually charged energy as he had tasted every inch of her skin. He resisted the urge to sigh and tightened his honed control back into place.

Tank studied his oldest friend; he looked like a man in pain. "Put your focus where you want when this is over. I know the score, but your timing is off, amigo."

Ranger sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. "Dismissed."

Tank turned to leave, but stopped when Lester's voice sounded over the intercom. "Trouble just pulled into the driveway, boss, and its name is Joe Morelli."

_sSsSs_

"Hey, gimme that, you lousy thieving excuse of a human being!" Lula was angry that the old woman seated next to her had stolen the apple from her tray.

"It's mine," the woman with the gnarled hands and greasy, matted gray hair whined and shifted her eyes away.

"The hell it is! I saw you pinch it from my tray. 'Sides, my tray got _no_ apple and yours got two!" Lula harrumphed and reached over to grab her apple back. The old woman struck out like a viper and bit Lula on the hand. "Damn it!" Lula screamed and jerked her hand away from the old woman's mouth. "You crazy bitch! What the hell you do that for?" Lula lunged for the woman's throat with a look of wild rage on her face.

"Help!" the old woman screamed. "Help! She's gonna kill me!"

Connie rushed to restrain Lula's arm so she wouldn't kill the frail woman. Not one of the other shelter residents bothered to intervene so by the time a couple of the larger male volunteers had separated the combatants, most of the three meals had ended up either on the floor or on the three women. A quiet older woman sat at the end of their table, oblivious to the scene. She held her head high and ate as if she were in a fine restaurant, taking slow, deliberate bites and chewing her food with enjoyment. A piece of bread balanced precariously on the top of her head, but it went unnoticed or no one wanted to disturb her dream-like state.

Order restored to the dining room, a volunteer led Lula back to the clinic portion of the building with Connie close behind.

One of the medical volunteers took a look at Lula's hand and began to wash it with an antiseptic. "She try to steal your food?" he asked with a grin.

Lula scowled back at him. "Yeah, and when I called her on it, the crazy old bat bit me!"

The man laughed. "That's Maura for you. Happens almost every night unless her target of the evening is too terrified to report it. Looks like she broke the skin. I'll need to give you a shot of antibiotics. Is your tetanus up to date?"

Lula just stared, her eyes big. The man shook his head. "Never mind, I'll give you a tetanus shot, too." While he cleaned her hand, he looked at Lula, and then Connie. "Haven't seen you two here before. New to town?"

"Yes." "No." Both women said at the same time. Connie glared at Lula and covered up the blunder with an explanation. "What we mean is we've been in town a couple of weeks, but just ran out of money. We hope to find some work soon, but we'll have to stay here until we do."

The man nodded. "You're more than welcome, but" he paused and gave Lula a very stern frown, "we expect the people who come here to keep a decent tongue in their mouths."

"Well, shit." Lula looked abashed. "I'm sorry. I'll work on it. I can watch my damn mouth." She clamped her mouth shut and sent apologetic eyes up to the man. "I mean, yes sir."

With a shake of his head and a small grin, he said, "You're all set. You two go ahead and get fresh plates; I'll speak to the kitchen crew. And take my advice, don't sit next to Maura again or you'll end up back here."

"Crazy old bat," Lula mumbled and then followed Connie out of the clinic.

_sSsSs_

"Morelli." Ranger's head tipped a fraction.

"Manoso." Joe's didn't.

Tank watched the two men size each other up with fists clenched at their sides and blank stares in place. His hand crept close to his gun. Just in case. If he had to shoot a leg to calm down an altercation, he wouldn't hesitate. His biggest problem would be who to shoot, his friend or the cop – he hoped they wouldn't make him choose.

"This address is supposed to be sealed. How did you locate it?" Ranger's mind moved ahead to the conversation he, his lawyer and the police chief would have in regards to this infraction.

Joe's eyes scanned Ranger's face for a moment before he answered. "Gaspick had an accident and dropped his papers all over my office. I found it clipped inside the file."

Ranger nodded again; he'd deal with Gaspick later. "And you're here because…?"

Joe glared back, his full cop face intact. "I'm here to see Stephanie."

Ranger's eyebrow rose. "Did she call you?"

"None of your business." Joe's fists tightened and his eyes narrowed.

The eyebrow rose higher. "It is my business. She's in my custody. Her business is my business."

The two men continued to watch each other. "I want to make sure she's alright."

"She's fine."

Joe blew out a frustrated breath. "I'd like to see for myself."

Ranger deliberated for a moment. "There are a lot of things I want, too."

His suggestive tone caused Joe's face to darken with anger. "Yeah, and that's another subject I want to talk over with her. You have an unfair advantage here, Manoso."

Ranger lifted a corner of his mouth. "Life's not fair. Get over it, Morelli."

"I'm not leaving until I've seen Stephanie." Ranger continued to study him with indifferent silence and Joe threatened, "No matter how long it takes."

An amused grin greeted this declaration. "Morelli, if I so choose, you'll be gone in thirty seconds."

"You can try, but I'd say you'd better plan on it taking a little longer," Joe scowled.

Tank cleared his throat. "Why don't the two of you let the lady involved make the decision?" Both turned their heads in Tank's direction. He shook his head. They'd both been so involved in their standoff; they'd forgotten that the decision was Stephanie's.

Ranger nodded his head and then pressed a button on the intercom. "Babe?"

"Mmm?" The answer was more of a moan than a word. Ranger almost suppressed his grin, but decided against it. He'd left her curled up in his bed, well sated and sleeping like an angel.

"Joe's here, he wants to see you."

"Joe?" The disembodied voice sounded puzzled. Joe narrowed his eyes and the muscle at the back of his jaw ticked. How many Joes did she know?

"Morelli."

"Joe Morelli?" Silence. "Oh – oh fuck," she groaned. "Do I have to?"

A deep laugh broke from Ranger's chest. "What, fuck him?"

"_Ranger!_" She intended her reply to sound sharp, almost as if she were chastising him, but instead, she moaned out his name much the same way she had done just a short while ago. His laughter calmed her. "No, see him."

Ranger tossed a superior look Morelli's way. "Your choice."

There was another pause before her sleepy voice responded. "Okay. He'll just make an ass of himself if I don't. Where are you?"

"Hector's on his way so you might want to put on some clothes." Ranger knew he had crossed the line with his last comment, but he didn't care.

Silence settled over the room after Hector left and Joe's anger pervaded while they waited for her. So many thoughts swirled in Joe's head, none of them good. She'd sounded seriously satisfied when she'd first answered, and Joe suspected the reason sat right in front of him. And the bastard's flippant comment suggesting she put clothes on had almost made him reach for his gun. Then, when she'd sounded like she didn't know him and didn't care…

Before he could take his thoughts any further, a knock sounded on the office door and Hector entered, followed by Stephanie. One look at her – hair mussed, skin aglow, eyes trained on Manoso – and Joe knew. His relationship with Stephanie was in serious trouble.

He rose from his chair and went to embrace her. "Cupcake."

Stephanie drew back and Hector stepped in front of her to block Joe's advance. From behind her protector's back, she asked in a calm voice, "What do you want, Joe?"

"Cupcake." His voice cracked and he tried again, "Stephanie." He didn't know what to say. She'd never resisted him before and had always allowed him to explain himself, to coerce her into whatever he wanted. This was new territory for him and he found himself suddenly on the outside looking in. The exact place he'd kept Manoso in for the last few years.

"No, Joe." Stephanie shook her head and edged her way in Ranger's direction, her dreamy eyes staring into his face and a fevered look rose on her cheeks when she lowered her gaze down his body. When her tongue came out to swipe over her lips, Joe almost lost it. He was going to kill Manoso.


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!_

_A/N: A huge thanks to Alf, May and Skye, three wonderful ladies who keep my scribbles in order. A special thank you to Skye for going the extra mile on this chapter and the extra encouragement she gave me on it and to Jennifer for pointing out the hidden moments with her review.  
_

**The Opportunist**

Chapter Ten

"_No, Joe." Stephanie shook her head and edged her way in Ranger's direction, her dreamy eyes staring into his face and a fevered look rose on her cheeks when she lowered her gaze down his body. When her tongue came out to swipe over her lips, Joe almost lost it. He was going to kill Manoso. _

sSsSs

Stephanie swung her gaze back to Morelli and saw a quick flash of pain cross his face. _Damn_. She made a move toward him and Hector edged between them again. "It's okay." She touched him on the shoulder and directed him to stand aside. Hector didn't back down and stubbornly refused to move with his arms crossed over his chest.

Stephanie turned pleading eyes in Ranger's direction and, without breaking eye contact; he spoke a few Spanish words to Hector in a low voice. Hector relaxed his stance and moved a step to the side.

"I assume you're here to discuss Eula's murder." Stephanie said.

"Yes, but I also want to speak with you, in private." Joe threw the last two words in Ranger's direction, but kept his eyes locked on Stephanie's face.

"No," Ranger said, his relaxed pose belying the tension he felt at Morelli's presence on his property.

"Yes," she turned her eyes to Ranger, "please." Her eyes appealed to him. "Leave Hector."

"Fine," Ranger relented; satisfied that she wouldn't be alone with Morelli. He took two quick steps to reach Stephanie's side, and then tipped her chin up gently with the knuckle on his first finger. He lowered his head and claimed her mouth in a fiery kiss before leaving the room. Not being in the room wasn't a problem; he'd watch and listen to their conversation from his office.

Hector relaxed into a soft leather chair against the wall near the door. His eyes never wavering from the cop.

"Just stay where you are." Stephanie held up her hand to stop Joe's advance mid-stride.

"Cupcake, I just want to hold you. Feel you in my arms. Make sure you're okay." Joe feigned innocence and held his arms wide apart. He started to take another step in Stephanie's direction, but stopped when Hector shot him a narrow glare.

"Back off if you want to have this talk, Joe." Stephanie stood her ground.

Joe dropped his arms to his sides. "Is Manoso's performance in bed so good you can forget what we had?"

Stephanie's eyes flashed with anger. "None of your damn business." She folded her arms under her breasts. Joe's dark eyes zeroed in on the deep purple bruise glaring off the pale skin at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. A blush warmed her face when she realized the neckline of her shirt had shifted and exposed Ranger's love bite.

"I see he didn't waste any time in marking you," Joe sneered.

"I thought you wanted to talk about Eula's murder." Stephanie had come to the end of her patience with his snide remarks. "As you can see, I'm fine. Please don't make this harder than you already have," Stephanie spoke in a soft tight voice.

His eyes continued to rake over her. "Oh, it's hard alright."

Stephanie caught his double entendre and glared at him. "I think it's time you left. Arrange a time with Ranger and we'll come down to the station for a formal interview."

Joe made no move to leave; instead, he studied her face. "This isn't over, Cupcake." He said, and then saluted Hector with his middle finger before he left the room.

Stephanie closed her eyes and released a heavy sigh. Hector came up behind her and gathered her into a warm hug. They remained in the quiet embrace until he turned her around to face him. He held up his index finger to tell her 'wait a minute' and walked over to the entertainment system, selected a CD and pressed some buttons.

The vigorous sound of Latin music filled the room. Hector moved his slim hips and shoulders to the beat of the music. Stephanie watched in fascination when his small body traveled like quicksilver across the room. He pulled her into his arms and he swung her around, his body didn't miss one single, pulsating beat. With a flourish, he released her and motioned for her to join him as his body's movements blended with the music.

Stephanie shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know how."

A smile spread across his features. Hector placed his hands on top of her hips and forced them to sway in time with the music. Both of their heads looked down to watch her hips move in time with his. Soon, her hips were swaying back and forth without any guidance and her feet copied his steps. With each new song, her body released itself more and more to the music and the far away world that it created.

Midway through the CD, Stephanie started to feel freer than she had in days. Together, the music, the movement, Hector's silent lessons, chased the stress away. She laughed out loud as Hector dipped her low enough to brush her hair on the carpet.

A slow, seductive Bachata rhythm started and Hector moved behind her. Arms around her waist, he pulled her back into him. Stephanie heard him hum the song in her ear. She closed her eyes and allowed her body to form to the contours of his. Nothing should feel this good: like sex with clothes on. Hot, Cuban sex…

sSsSs

Ranger watched Morelli leave the property on one of the surveillance cameras and smiled at the look of disgust on the cop's face. He flipped the camera back to the entertainment room. Music and the sound of Stephanie's laughter came over the open mic and he felt his groin tighten in response. God, even her laugh worked magic on him.

He couldn't take his eyes away from the screen. She was pure seduction. The sinuous way her body moved transfixed him and he knew at that moment he loved her. And would for the rest of his life, no matter how much he tried to deny it, especially to himself.

"She sure can dance," Tank said before he noticed the look on Ranger's face. "Aw, man." His voice softened. "She ain't gonna be easy."

Ranger almost laughed. "Most of our clients aren't."

"I wasn't referring to her as a client." Tank gave a weary shake of his head. "Let me get paper and a pen."

Curious, Ranger lifted an eyebrow.

"Figured since we're changing the rules, someone might as well take notes." Tank smiled when he made a show of searching the top of Ranger's neat desk.

"Sit down," Ranger bit out through clenched teeth.

A deep rumble of laughter sounded in Tank's chest. "Face it, my friend, you're in love." Tank relaxed in one of the large chairs opposite the desk.

"We need to get down to business." His body straightened and his facial expression one of firm resolve. "Has Lula called in a report?" To his amazement, Tank crumpled into a fit of hysteria.

Ranger reached up to rub his temples; why did he feel a clusterfuck of a headache would soon be building behind his eyes?

sSsSs

Joe pulled his truck into the parking lot of TPD and shut off the engine. He slumped back in the seat and tried to figure out why he had come to the office instead of going home. As he dropped his head back onto the headrest, he admitted the reason. Today's confrontation with Stephanie still had his pride smarting. This whole matter had become a competition between him and Manoso. A contest of sorts, find the killer and win the prize – Stephanie.

When he opened the car door, the warm air of the evening rushed in to surround him. Time to wrap up this mystery. He entered the building and came face-to-face with Eddie.

"Joe." Eddie tipped his head in greeting.

"Heading home?" Joe asked.

Eddie smiled and slapped Joe on the shoulder. "Sure am. Hey – did you hear about Gaspick's accident? Seems he slipped and busted his nose on the floor in your office, several guys witnessed it." Eddie laughed.

"Oh, shit." Joe said and rubbed his right hand. "Tell the 'witnesses' thanks for me."

"Will do, now get busy and clear our friend." Eddie lowered his voice and leaned in to say, "By the way, nice right hook." He grinned and threw Joe a small salute, then headed off in the direction of his car.

Joe watched Eddie pull out of the lot and felt shame wash over him. The man was right; Stephanie was his friend, not a prize, not something to claim like an object. He turned and made his way to his office. It was time to get serious and find the real killer.

_sSsSs_

It was late and Ranger released a tired breath. He dropped his head back to rest his eyes while Tank drove back to the house. They'd met with McKinley to go over the appeals and motions to dismiss some of the evidence he had submitted to the courts. McKinley had also filed a complaint with the chief of police about Gaspick's screw up with Ranger's address. Following that meeting, they'd hit the streets to shake down all of their informants and followed up on some leads the guys had gotten.

"Home, sweet home," Tank said when he pulled the SUV into the garage and turned off the engine.

Ranger grunted a short response and climbed out of the truck. When he opened the door to the kitchen from the garage, he stopped and stared. The scene before him wasn't real, it couldn't be. Tank's deep chuckle behind him confirmed his eyes hadn't been wrong.

Every variety of fast food and every flavor of Ben & Jerry's ice cream were on display. The countertops and table were covered with wrappers and half eaten food. Stephanie held up a spoonful of ice cream for Hector to eat.

"Cho-co-late," she said the word with deliberation, almost letter by letter.

Ranger watched Hector's eyes study her mouth with great intensity when she formed the word. "Sho-ka-lot," Hector mimicked.

"Good!" Stephanie exclaimed then shoved the spoon into his mouth.

Hector swallowed the lump of ice cream. He looked at Ranger, and then pointed to Stephanie. "Babe."

sSsSs

Stephanie was floating on a sea of Bulgari and warm silky sheets. On top of that, her skin tingled with happy tremors over the back of her neck, now her shoulder, arm, and wrist – oh God, someone was sucking on her fingers.

The tight beading of her nipples pulled her from sleep and she cracked open her eyes to see Ranger, dressed and sitting on the side of the bed with his tongue wrapped around her index finger, the black depths of his eyes drawing her in.

"Good morning, teacher," he said in a low voice.

She moaned softly and whined, "Mmm, it's too early to get up. Come back to bed."

Ranger let out a low growl. "I wish I could, but we have work to do today." He pressed a hard kiss to her lips and then shot off the bed as if he'd been burned. "You have fifteen minutes to shower, and then I need you in my office." Without waiting for a response, he opened the door and left.

Stephanie smiled to herself and her mind wandered over the night before: hours and hours of hot, wet kisses and wild, feral sex. Ugh, she wasn't sure if she could even walk this morning. When Ranger said he would ruin her for all other men, he'd failed to mention that part of the ruination meant she wouldn't be able to leave his bed at all. She smiled, nice problem to have and one she planned on enjoying for a long time.

When Ranger had come home to find her feeding Hector, he'd had a gleam in his eye Stephanie recognized right away: jealousy. He'd had a rapid conversation with Hector in Spanish, and then he threw her over his shoulder, carried her off to the bedroom and pounced on her. He was like a big, angry cat, circling and playing with her until she was so aroused she'd begged him to take her.

He'd been a green-eyed monster, but it had been worth it. Hector had learned three words last night: chocolate, fries, and Babe. Stephanie got emotional when she remembered his smile when he said Babe for the first time. Three whole words and she had taught them to him.

With a muttered curse, she looked at the time and realized she now only had five minutes to get ready. She was tempted to wait him out and see what he would do, but if he said there was work to be done, chances were he wouldn't be in a playful mood this morning.

She got out of bed and stomped toward the bathroom. Despite the fact that he'd given her another night of amazing sex, she was miffed that he wouldn't allow her to sleep in. They'd gone to bed after four in the morning! She thought of ways to punish him and a naughty smile spread across her face.

sSsSs

Stephanie entered the office with a quick smile in his direction and Ranger worked to calm his heart rate at the sight of her. She'd tamed her wild curls into a loose ponytail from which a few tendrils had escaped and clung to the smooth creamy skin of her neck. The jeans she wore rode low on her hips and fit snug enough to enhance the contours of her ass. The soft blue t-shirt accentuated the color of her eyes and molded perfectly against her slim body. He gave himself a mental shake and changed the direction of his thoughts. "We need to go over the police report," he said in a stern tone. "Word by word, letter by letter."

"Could I have some breakfast first?" Stephanie pleaded. He pointed to a side table where coffee and pastries were set out. "Thanks."

Ranger watched a small smile appear on her face when she noticed the napkin with _Babe_ written in small letters which had been placed over two Boston creams and realized she knew it was a gift from Hector. He watched every single move she made while she poured her coffee and made her way back to the chair.

"What?" she asked as she wiggled back into the chair, careful to balance her coffee and donuts.

Ranger studied her for a moment. "You ready?"

"Yes, sir." She mumbled around the first bite into one of the Boston creams.

Hour after hour, they reviewed the police report, the autopsy report, her statement, and every minute detail she remembered about the scene where she found Eula. If she thought Picky had been redundant, he had nothing on Ranger.

"Ranger, I can't do this anymore." Stephanie hung her head down between her knees, and then threw herself back upright. "I have to get out of here." She looked at the serious man who stared at her from across the desk. "Please."

Ranger pulled his cell phone out and pressed Tank's number. "Get the guys together; we're going to Pino's. Tell Lester and Hal to head on over, you and Bobby can follow us." He hung up and then stood. "Hungry?" He looked at the beautiful woman with her intense gaze directed at him.

"Starving." Her body sagged in relief that the intense interrogation session was over.

Ranger made his way around the desk to stand in front of her chair. He braced his hands on the armrests and bent over placed soft kiss on her lips. "Let's go." He straightened up and held his hand out for her.

sSsSs

The last of Cheryl's patience vanished while she sat at a red light and waited for it to change. She'd spent the entire day trying to come up with a way to meet Stephanie Plum without anyone else around. She drummed her fingertips on the steering wheel; Manoso and his minions were like a black wall of armor. Oncoming traffic slowed and she noticed the black Mercedes followed by a large black SUV stopping on the other side of the intersection. Sitting in the front passenger seat of the Mercedes was the Plum woman; Cheryl smiled at her good fortune and turned into Pino's parking lot hoping that it was their destination. The crazy bitch seemed to be addicted to the place and this might be her best opportunity to get close to the woman. Cheryl hurried to park her car at the end of the lot, grabbed a large tote from the back seat and hustled inside just as the short black caravan pulled into the lot. Perfect.

sSsSs

Ranger parked his car next to one of the Rangeman SUVs. He smiled lifted his hand to touch her tousled curls. "Come on, Babe." She flashed him a small smile.

Side by side, they walked to the restaurant's door. Ranger held it open for her to enter first and gave the outside perimeter one last look before he stepped in behind her. He placed a hand at the small of her back and directed her toward the table where his men were waiting for them. Their order had been placed and a cold mug of beer had been poured for everyone; the day's troubles pushed aside for the next couple of hours.

Stephanie scarfed down an entire meatball sub and two slices of pizza. She drained the last drop of beer from her mug and set it back down on the table. Two beers in under an hour meant it was time for a trip to the bathroom. "Excuse me." She said and pushed back her chair. "I need to go to the ladies room." All of the men at the table rose to escort her. "Oh please, I think I'll be safe enough."

All of the large men dressed in black shot a quick look in Ranger's direction. When he pushed his chair under the table, they all backed off and sat down. Stephanie rolled her eyes and shook her head in surrender.

"Come on, but you're staying outside in the hall." At the door marked 'Women', she gave Ranger a look that said, 'stay out'. He grinned and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

Stephanie blew him a kiss before she pushed open the door. The restroom looked like any other restaurant bathroom: two sinks with a large mirror fastened to the wall above them, two stalls, tampon dispenser mounted on the wall right next to the paper towels and trash can combo. She smiled at the woman standing at one of the sinks brushing her short blond hair, and then did a quick downward glance at the stalls checking for occupants – both empty – so she headed for the first one.

"Oh, use the other one." The lady at the sink said. "That one doesn't seem to be flushing right."

"Thanks," Stephanie moved to the second stall and pulled on the handle. "Damn, it's locked."

"Here, let me help you." The lady offered and came up behind Stephanie then raised her arm.

Stephanie sensed the motion but couldn't react fast enough to avoid the impact of the hard object that crashed into the side of her head and her world went black.

The woman caught Stephanie when she crumpled to soften the sound of her drop to the floor. In a heartbeat, she shoved a small folded piece of paper into the back pocket of Stephanie's jeans.

Without a moment's hesitation, the woman pulled off the short blond wig, shoved it down into her tote and pulled out a second wig. The second one was styled with long straight black hair that hung almost to her waist. She tossed the handles of the tote over her right shoulder and opened the restroom door just wide enough to slip out.

Ranger started to straighten his body away from the wall when the bathroom door opened, expecting Stephanie to walk out. Instead the woman coming out was small with long black hair and a nice pair of legs displayed underneath a short skirt. She smiled at him with down cast eyes and then made her way back through the main part of the restaurant. He had to smile when all of his men turned their heads to follow her progression across the room and out the door.

He gave a quick glance at his watch then stepped closer to the bathroom door. The absence of sound sent his instincts into high alert. With Stephanie Plum, noise was a certainty. He shoved the door open and stopped short. In front of him, Stephanie laid on the floor, her fluffy mass of auburn curls floating on the pool of blood collecting under her head. He grabbed his cell phone, dialed 911 and hurried to the door to yell for his men.

.


	11. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer:__ Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!_

_A/N:__ Okay, this is the chapter that almost wasn't…a huge thank you to Skye for wearing two hats this round, love you my dear! A big ' get well' to Alf and a big crossing of my fingers for May._

_To all my readers – you are the best. I didn't want to miss my Thursday post, so please understand; all errors and typos belong to me._

**The Opportunist**

Chapter Eleven

The young Emergency Room doctor scanned the occupants of the waiting room: two harried mothers, each with toddlers whose cheeks were colored with fever, an elderly man sat on the far side of the room with his head back, eyes closed, and then there was the group of formidable looking men, all clad in black SWAT uniforms, watching his every move. One well-built man broke from the group and took a step in his direction. The fierce look on the man's face caused the doctor to gulp when he realized he was facing the man he needed to speak with about his patient's condition. He hoped like hell his bedside manner didn't fail him as he directed his steps to meet the man halfway.

He pulled a deep breath in through his nose when he approached the man with the demanding look and asked, "Are you Ricardo Manoso?" At Ranger's nod, he introduced himself and let his education override his fear. Each and every one of the men surrounding them scrutinized the doctor. "May I speak freely about Miss Plum's condition?" the doctor asked. The man named Manoso gave him another nod so he continued to give them the details of Stephanie's condition: she had a mild concussion, the gash on the side of her head required eight sutures, but she would be fine. He suggested she remain overnight for observation and, barring any unforeseen complications, she'd be able to go home tomorrow.

"Thank you doctor." Ranger shook the man's hand. "How soon until I can see her?"

"In about five minutes, the nurses were helping her change into a gown when I left. She will need to rest tonight, so I might suggest that the rest of you," the doctor waved his hand not sure what word to use, "come back tomorrow."

When his eyes settled on the smallest man in the group, the doctor felt the need to take a step back. The slight man had two teardrops tattooed under his eye and a furious expression on his face. As an intern, the doctor had volunteered enough in the local clinics to know what the tattoos meant. Unnerved, the doctor brought his attention back to Ranger. "She's in bed 2-A." Ranger nodded and the doctor made his way to the old man on the other side of the room, grateful to gain distance from the men in black.

Ranger shot a quick glance in Tank's direction, made eye contact, and turned to go find bed 2-A.

"Umm, Ric." Tank's words stopped Ranger and he turned around. Tank motioned his head in Hector's direction. "If I were you, I'd watch my back."

Hector, the Protector, raised a finger gun and pointed it at Ranger.

_sSsSs_

Ranger lifted his hand to part the white cotton curtains that blocked off the section for bed 2-A. He knotted the cloth in his hand and hung his head in regret. For the first time, he'd let her down and now he had to face the consequences of his failure. He raised his head and vowed never again would he fail to protect her. He pulled back the curtain and felt a hitch in his heartbeat. Even now, with her skin paler than normal and a near match to the stark white sheets beneath her, she was beautiful. So unlike the vision locked in his head of how her skin had glowed on his sheets last night. His mind took a cruel turn and replayed the sound of her laughter when she sat astride him, her flushed face framed by wild curls.

He let the curtains fall closed behind him and stepped closer to her bed. Never again, he promised the still form sleeping on the bed. She groaned and shifted in her sleep. The sound of her pain elevated his internal level of guilt. Would she ever be able to trust him again? He could do his best to protect her, but she faced life full on and didn't back off. No matter how many pledges he made, he knew there was no way Stephanie would change the way she faced life. It was what had attracted him to her in the first place, a trait he hoped she never changed; though, he hoped to get her to train to be better prepared for danger in the future.

Ranger slipped her cool hand into his and gave it a light squeeze. "Babe, I'm so sorry." He watched as her eyelids fluttered. She made a sound and Ranger lowered his head, trying to catch what she said. "It's okay, just relax."

Stephanie squinted up at him and tried to clear her dry throat, "Blond curly hair."

"Who?" Ranger massaged her hand that he still held wrapped in his.

"Lady who hit me."

"Woman I saw had straight black hair."

"No! Curly and blond!" The agitation in her voice rose.

"Okay, calm down, I believe you." Ranger assessed Stephanie's comment. The only person in the lady's rest room when she'd been attacked was the woman with the long black hair, at least it's what the woman had when she left. Bitch wore a wig! He worked one of his hands free from her grasp and flipped his phone open. Tank answered on the first ring.

"Suspect wore a wig. She may have curly blond hair. We all watched her walk out of the restaurant. We know her height, her walk, and the shape of her legs. Find her."

_sSsSs_

"Cheryl, what the hell were you thinking?"

_Stupid man is what I'm thinking right now_. Instead, she said in her sweetest, most cajoling voice, "I was thinking of us, lover." When his expression remained set in a firm scowl, she increased her feminine charm. "Sweetheart, I know it wasn't your plan to have someone take the fall for the old woman's murder, but since Stephanie has already been charged, I figured a little more insurance wouldn't hurt." She stepped around his desk and when her hip grazed his arm, she purred, "Nothing is more important than us, darling." She looked deep into his eyes as she trailed her fingernails down his neck. "Nothing."

The man's expression relaxed and he nodded, "You're right." _Except the money_, _but damn, you come close_. "Just promise me you'll stay out of it from here on out. I don't want anything else to go wrong and you to be arrested." He reached up and massaged her small breast. _And I wouldn't want you blabbing my name to the cops, either_.

They jumped apart when a soft knock sounded on his door. One of the other partners stuck his head in. "Ah, good. Glad to find you in, Dickie. I need a private word with you."

Dickie Orr nodded and looked at his secretary. "We can finish that letter later, Cheryl."

"Yes, sir," she replied, already moving out of the room.

_sSsSs_

Stephanie returned back to consciousness to the sound of two very loud male voices speaking in rapid Spanish. They didn't sound happy. She opened one eye and squinted into the room. Damn, it wasn't a dream; she was in a hospital again.

The verbal disturbance had names, Ranger and Hector, and they didn't look very pleased with each other. Ranger was obviously trying to keep himself under control, but the finger he kept jabbing into Hector's chest hinted he wasn't entirely successful. Hector made no pretense to control his anger. Each time Ranger's finger came his way he batted it away, his eyes growing darker with each swat.

She opened her other eye and caught sight of Tank in her peripheral vision. He stood next to her, his legs slightly apart with his arms crossed over his chest. A slight smile etched its way on his face.

Stupefied, she listened for a couple more minutes before she cleared her throat. "Do you know how rude it is to speak a foreign language in front of someone who doesn't understand it?" Three heads swiveled her way.

"Babe," a smooth, deep voice murmured.

"Bombshell," a deep boom reverberated around the room.

"Babe," a softer male voice, almost tenor in pitch, rounded out their greetings.

"Ranger, you want to explain why you and Hector are arguing?"

He shook his head, his expression blank. "We weren't arguing, Babe. Just discussing your security arrangements."

"Huh. You think I don't know arguing when I hear it? I'm half Italian, and that was arguing." When Ranger made no further attempt to answer her, she rolled her head slowly toward Tank. "How about you? Are you going to tell me?"

Tank snickered. "Hector is feeling a little protective of you."

Stephanie narrowed her eyes. "Watchdogs are supposed to feel that way. What aren't you telling me?"

Tank's snicker expanded to a full laugh. "He's protecting you from Ric."

"What?" Stephanie's attention changed from Tank to Ranger. "Are you _that_ upset with me?"

"No, I'm not upset with you," Ranger answered, then shifted his eyes over to Tank.

Stymied, Stephanie carefully rolled over to her side to find relief from the killer headache forming on the side of her forehead. She closed her eyes and mumbled, "Please, finish it, by all means. Don't mind me."

For several minutes, an uncomfortable silence filled the room until the two men resumed their discussion, only this time the Spanish was calmer and at a much lower volume. They went back and forth a few times and then silence. Stephanie opened her eyes to see the two solemnly shaking hands, and then Hector shot Ranger with a finger gun. Ranger smiled and nodded. "Sí."

Hector walked to the opposite side of the bed, pulled the chair beside it up to the edge, sat, and patted her arm in a comforting gesture. Tank moved aside so Ranger could sit on the edge of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" Ranger asked.

Stephanie shrugged her shoulders. "Confused. Are you going to explain what you too were discussing?"

"No." He squeezed her leg gently. "How's the head?"

"It hurts," she replied and then closed her eyes.

_sSsSs_

"Christ!" Joe slammed the phone down. One of his fellow officers passed along the information that Picky received an anonymous tip that Stephanie had some compelling evidence on her person and he was on his way to pick up a search warrant. _And this while she's under Manoso's protection_? Obviously, the man didn't understand how to adequately protect Stephanie. First, the attack at Pino's and now this piece of bad news. It was time for Joe to step back into the game. Joe knew Picky wouldn't make it to the hospital for at least another hour, which gave him plenty of time to reach the hospital before Picky.

_sSsSs_

A knock rapped on the door to Stephanie's room and Hector's movements were so quick he became a blur. Before Morelli forced his way into the room, Hector had reached the door with his gun drawn. Morelli entered the room with fire in his eyes and brushed past Hector, who attempted to block his entrance into the room.

"Manoso, I need to speak with you."

Ranger rose from the bed and nodded. "Morelli."

"Gaspick's picking up a search warrant. He'll be here in about an hour to search Stephanie and her belongings. Seems he got an anonymous tip that she has a vital piece of evidence in her possession." Joe looked ready to pounce. "What the fuck is going on? You're supposed to protect her! Instead, she winds up in the hospital after being attacked, and now there's an anonymous report she has damaging evidence on her. Looks to me like you're falling down on the job, _Batman_."

Ranger narrowed his eyes and ignored the sarcasm from Joe. He kept his voice at a level pitch, though he was mad as hell on the inside. "Morelli, Stephanie had nothing incriminating on her when she left the police station and she hasn't been out of our sight since then."

"Well, Gaspick thinks she's got something now." A muscle ticked in Morelli's jaw and his angry eyes bored into Ranger's. "What kind of circus are you running with this operation?"

"The situation is under control."

"From my point of view, it looks like the situation is _out_ of control." Joe took a deep breath. "Look, Manoso, I'm giving you twenty-four hours to figure out what happened before I show up on your doorstep again. You understand?"

Ranger looked at him for a moment then nodded, effectively dismissing Joe.

"Cupcake?" Joe wandered closer to Stephanie and Hector stepped around in front, blocking his way.

Stephanie tried to roll her eyes, but it only caused her pain so she settled for pressing a hand to her eyes to shield them from his intense stare. "Not now, Joe. I have a headache."

Tank snickered. Not the usual setting a guy expected to hear that excuse. Joe glared briefly in his direction, and then turned back. "Stephanie?"

"Later, Joe."

Joe pursed his lips in annoyance and stared at the floor for a beat. When he looked up, he shot a glare at Ranger. "Fine, tomorrow then. I need to get out of here just in case there is some damning evidence, I don't want to know about it."

As soon as the door shut behind Morelli, Ranger started barking out orders. "Tank, check her bag." In Spanish, he told Hector to check her clothes. The three men dug into the side pockets of their cargos and each pulled out a small packet of latex gloves. They tugged them onto their hands and Tank and Hector began their search. With a grin, Ranger said, "I get to check you, Babe." Before Stephanie could protest, he ran his hands through her tangled hair, careful not to cause her any pain.

"That's a whole new level of being prepared with latex I hadn't considered," Stephanie mumbled. Ranger gave her a small smile and continued to search through her thick tresses.

Hector hurried over to the bed and handed Ranger a small piece of paper while he rattled off something in Spanish and pointed to the back pocket of her jeans. Ranger unfolded the small piece of paper, then looked it over, mentally noting what it was, and held it out for Stephanie to examine it. "Don't touch. Does this mean anything to you, Babe?"

Stephanie looked at the numbers scribbled on the paper and shook her head. "No, I've never seen it before."

"And you never did, okay?" He peered at her until she nodded her understanding before he shoved the paper into his pocket. He instructed Hector in Spanish to keep searching.

"Tank, go downstairs and sweet talk Miss Bell into letting you know when Gaspick arrives. I'm going to contact Stephanie's doctor and arrange for her release so we can get her out of here right after Gaspick's finished with his search." Ranger paused for a moment, then said, "When you're finished with Miss Bell, call Sanchez and let him know that I'll be arriving soon with a guest." Tank raised his brow in surprise. "I want Stephanie out of the Trenton area." Tank nodded and made his way out of the room. Ranger spoke to Hector for a moment, then started for the door.

"Ranger?" He turned around at the sound of Stephanie's voice. "Where are you taking me?"

Ranger smiled. "We're going to the real Batcave."

_SSsSs_

Gaspick stepped out of his car and straightened his jacket, his fingers lingered over the smooth leather. He figured Manoso and his gang would most likely be hovering all around Stephanie Plum and tried to shrug off the sense of insecurity he faced whenever he was around Manoso. Well, tonight would be different. He was dressed in a silk t- shirt and black dress pants, topping off the ensemble with his expensive new leather jacket.

With an air of self-importance, Gaspick entered through the hospital doors. He waited for those sitting in the lobby to look his way. None of them did. He reached to straighten his jacket again before walking up to the information desk.

"I need the room number for Stephanie Plum." Picky made a show of flashing his police ID denoting his detective status to the elderly gray-haired woman sitting behind the semicircular desk.

Unimpressed, the woman reached up and removed his ID from his hand to inspect it. Gaspick shifted his weight from one foot to the other. What was she doing, memorizing it?

"Umm, Miss Bell," Gaspick said after reading her name tag, "I'm here on official business." He raised his voice in frustration. "I have a search warrant!"

Miss Bell dipped her head and looked up at him over her reading glasses. "Young man, all of our business here is official." Her blue eyes bore into him. Shit, he felt like he was arguing with his grandmother.

She picked up her phone then pressed the number three. "I have someone here requesting to see Ms. Plum." Miss Bell's scrutiny continued. "Gaspick." Picky sighed and hung his head, so much for his surprise entrance. "Thank you."

"Someone will be right down to take you to Ms. Plum's room." A tight, satisfied smile showed on Miss Bell's face. She used her pen to point out a row of chairs along the wall and returned to her paperwork, uninterested with whether or not he chose to sit.

Within minutes, the elevator opened and Tank stepped out into the lobby. He caught Miss Bell's eye, gave her a brief nod and an endearing smile. Miss Bell smiled in return and shifted her eyes in Gaspick's direction.

"You're here to see Miss Plum?" Tank asked when he approached the man.

"I am and I have a search warrant." Gaspick started to reach inside his pocket to show it to the large man.

Tank ignored the warrant Gaspick had withdrawn. "Follow me," he said, then reversed his steps back in the direction of the elevator. He waited for Picky to follow and, like a well-trained pet, Gaspick trailed after him.

When they arrived at Stephanie's room, Tank knocked once and waited for brief second before he opened the door. A pissed off Hector was a very deadly person whether you were a friend or not.

Gaspick hadn't been expecting the large man to halt at the door. Unable to stop his next step, he ran right into the man's hard-as-steel back.

"Ouch!" The word escaped Gaspick's mouth when he lost his balance and fell back on his ass. Tank turned around with a deep frown on his face. "Sorry, wasn't expecting you to stop." Tank shrugged, unconcerned, and walked into the semi-dark room. Gaspick picked himself up off the floor, dusted his seat off, and followed Tank into the room, only this time, he was careful to stay a few steps back.

Looking around, Gaspick was surprised to see only one small man standing against the wall next to the bed. "Where's the mighty Manoso?" Picky turned to look at Stephanie. The bed was on a slight incline and she looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"He lose out to Morelli?" Gaspick shoved his short fingers into his front pocket.

"Why are you here?" Ranger approached silently from behind and whispered the question into Gaspick's ear.

"Shit!" Gaspick jumped and turned around in surprise. He stumbled over his own foot, lost his balance and fell face first into the bedside tray table, sending it crashing to the floor.

Stephanie released a painful moan, covering her ears with her hands. Ranger reached down and pulled Gaspick up by the front of his shirt. If Ranger hadn't supported him, Gaspick would have fallen a third time.

Gaspick repressed a groan of embarrassment at his inability to stay upright twice in less than a minute. "I have a search warrant … and … I'm here … to search her … and her belongings," he wheezed.

Ranger released his hold on the man and held out his open hand. Gaspick pulled the warrant, now crumbled from Ranger's hold, from his pocket and placed it in Ranger's waiting hand. Ranger flipped it open and gave a quick perusal. "Do it and leave," he said handing the papers back to Gaspick.

Straightening his shirt, Gaspick turned to face Stephanie. "I need to search you." She watched his eyes nervously flick in Ranger's direction.

"Miss Plum, are you able to stand?" Gaspick asked.

"Not for a long time, but then again, I only have the hospital gown on, not a lot of places to conceal information." Stephanie flipped back the light covers.

Gaspick noticed her braless breasts molded beneath the thin gown and blushed, then chanced a nervous look around the room. As his eyes scanned up the legs she'd exposed, he could only imagine the soft, hot, moist – well, he could see how men like Morelli and Manoso would be attracted to her. She was a stone cold fox. He couldn't wait to tell his buddies at poker night about the mile long legs he got to touch when he searched her person. When he realized where his thoughts were, he cast a sidelong glance at the dangerous, silent man. He hoped Manoso hadn't noticed the eyeful he took of Miss Plum's charms. "I'll also need to search her other personal items, her clothes, purse." Ranger indicated the small closet door. Gaspick hurried through the act of searching both Stephanie and the other items.

When he'd finished, Gaspick released a disgusted sigh. "I should search all of you," he said.

"Not in the warrant," Ranger replied calmly. "However, if you'd like to try and search us…" Ranger almost smiled when Gaspick's face went pale. Ranger spoke a few words to Hector, never breaking eye contact with Gaspick.

The small man stepped up in front of Gaspick. The two men looked at each other and then Hector pulled his black tee shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor. Gaspick fought a wave of envy at the small man's chiseled form. How did someone who was even shorter and thinner than him manage to be so cut? It was a feat Gaspick himself had never achieved. He made a mental note to get a gym membership on his way home tonight.

Next, Hector started unbuckling his belt. He spoke quickly to Tank as he started to unzip his pants. Tank broke down in laughter, Ranger's eyes never blinked, but remained steady on Gaspick's every move.

"What? What did he say?" Gaspick looked from one laughing man to the other. "Tell me!"

Tank fought for control. "He said he usually likes a little more privacy when he undresses for a man." Laughter filled the room. Gaspick glowed with embarrassment and stomped out the door. He couldn't believe he'd been eyeing the man; knowing his luck the little Latino read his thoughts.

"Crap, I feel a long recuperation coming on," Stephanie said and covered her face with her hands.

_sSsSs_

Twenty minutes after Gaspick fled the room, Ranger had Stephanie dressed, checked out, and loaded in his car with her filled prescriptions in his pocket.

"You aren't going to drug me or anything are you?" Stephanie asked Ranger when he pulled the Mercedes away from the hospital.

"What?" he asked with a shocked look on his face.

"You know, so I can't tell anyone where you really live." Stephanie thought she was teasing, but somewhere in her foggy mind, she wasn't quite sure.

Ranger lifted an eyebrow in amusement. "No."

Stephanie released a suppressed breath and smiled. "Then move it, Batman! I've waited a long time to see the _real_ Batcave."


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer:__Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!_

_A/N: Thank you to __**all**__ my readers and for all the lovely reviews and PMs! You are so wonderful! But my biggest thank you this week goes to Skye – you are the best my friend!_

**The Opportunist**

**Chapter Twelve**

The ride was pleasant and only lasted a brief twenty-five minutes. Dusk surrendered into evening when they passed into an affluent neighborhood of Princeton and Stephanie's mouth dropped open. "You live in Princeton?" Ranger nodded once. "Well, hell, no wonder we couldn't find you."

"I told you to expand your horizons, Babe." Ranger offered her a smile.

"Smartass," Stephanie muttered under her breath. "I'm confused. Explain the house we were out, why were your things there?"

"Safe house." Ranger's answer was short with an underlying thread of tension.

"Why were your things there?" Stephanie persisted.

Ranger pulled in a deep breath. "I didn't want you to feel like you were moved from one cell to another, so I had Lester move some of my things so it would appear to be my home. I wanted you to feel safe, not under arrest. He got carried away." He pulled the car up close to a security panel disguised as a brick pillar and lowered his window. His fingers artfully selected six numbers on the code panel and the gate opened in a slow, but graceful motion. They began to move forward and her attention was diverted from his statement for the present. "We'll talk about this later," she murmured as her spine straightened with curiosity when they drove up the long tree-lined driveway. The house came into view and she gasped at the long sprawling ranch that blended quietly with its surroundings. The first two things that came to her mind were serenity and money.

"Holy shit, Batman."

Ranger guided the car around the arc of the circular driveway and stopped midway, right in front of the brick sidewalk that lead to the main entrance. A tall, gray-haired gentleman opened the front door of the house and stepped out onto the porch.

"Please don't tell me his name is Alfred," Stephanie pleaded.

"It isn't," Ranger said, leaning over to give her a kiss on her cheek. "It's Alfredo."

The tall man made his way down the walk and opened her door. "Good evening, ma'am."

"Hi." Geesh – he actually called her ma'am.

Coming up alongside, Ranger placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Babe, I'd like you to meet Alfredo Sanchez. Alfredo, Miss Stephanie Plum."

"Miss Plum." Alfredo dipped his head and Stephanie flashed him the biggest smile she could manage.

Stephanie barely set one foot out of the car when Ranger suddenly scooped her up in his arms and carried her toward the door. "Put me down," Stephanie said half-heartedly. Ranger ignored her request and crossed the threshold.

"Welcome to my home, Babe." Ranger's eyes darkened. The two quietly stared at each other and recognized this was a pivotal event in their relationship, a point neither wanted to turn back from, no matter what the future held.

Ranger turned in a slow circle, still holding her in his arms. "This is all the tour you get for right now. I'll give you the full tour once you've had a nap and a shower, if you want.

"I want, thank you." Stephanie replied and took advantage of the placement of her arms around his neck to give him a quick hug.

Even with Stephanie in his arms, Ranger made easy work of the stairs, and then reluctantly set her down when they reached what appeared to be the master bedroom.

"Your room?" Stephanie asked in a hushed voice.

"Yes." Ranger swept a light kiss over her mouth. "Take your time," he said. "If there's anything–" He was interrupted by a buzzing sound from a small speaker on the wall.

He crossed the room and pressed the button. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, Ric, but you have a call on the D.C. line," Alfredo's voice answered.

Ranger sighed inaudibly. "I'll be right there." He lifted his finger from the button and made his way back to where Stephanie stood. "You going to be okay if I leave you alone for a little while?"

"I'll be fine, go." His lips kissed hers softly and then he was gone.

It was her turn to sigh, and then she smiled. "Batman brings Babe to the Batcave; Batman leaves to talk on the Bat-phone. Nothing left for Babe to do but go soak in the Bat-tub. Lula's never gonna believe this."

_sSsSs_

"I don't know about you, but my feet are killing me and my stomach is demanding to be fed some fried chicken," Lula complained to Connie. "Plus, I think my back is broken after sleeping on that cot last night."

"Oh, be quiet. What have you got to complain about? Look at my hair!" Connie wailed. Lula started to laugh and Connie shot her a narrowed look. "Can't believe you took a picture of me with the cell phone Ranger gave you. That was just plain cruel."

"Hell, no one would ever believe me if I didn't have some proof." Lula's heavy chest shook with laughter. "Come on, the sooner we uncover some information, the sooner we can go home."

The two of them had spent the entire day hanging around the bus terminal trying to worm their way inside the tight clique of homeless women who had staked out the territory a long time back. Most of them ignored the two newcomers, but one woman, older and filthier than dirt, seemed only too happy to have new ears to listen to her chatter.

To ensure their newly found friendship with the woman, Connie scrounged around in her coat pocket and offered to share the orange left over from her breakfast. The woman's eyes brightened at the sight of the unexpected treat and accepted her share greedily.

Lula, being a tad more streetwise, recognized the look. When Connie and the woman finished the last of the fruit, Lula pulled a Hershey's bar from her pocket and gave half of it to the woman, who they now knew to be named Clara. Clara nibbled at the chocolate rapturously. She let each little bite melt slowly on her tongue and Lula went into discreet mode. "What's this we hear about a woman getting killed outside the bus terminal?"

Clara flicked her eyes up and, without pause in her chocolate enjoyment, spoke, "Eula."

"Eula? Eula what?"

"Eula." Clara swiped her tongue over her thin lips. "Eula got herself killed."

"Did they find the man who did it?" Connie feigned a look of concern, maybe a little fear, as well.

"Not a man, a woman."

Lula wasn't known for her patience and today was no exception. "A woman killed Eula? They lock up her ass?"

Clara cackled. "They locked up the wrong woman's ass."

Connie and Lula shared a look. "You saw who killed this Eula?"

Clara cackled again. She enjoyed being the center of attention. "Maybe." Clara licked the last spot of chocolate from her fingers while she stared at the other half of the candy bar in Lula's hand.

Connie felt the anger building up in Lula and placed her hand on Lula's arm as a warning to calm down. Connie pulled the remaining stub of chocolate from Lula's hand and sat down next Clara. She broke a little corner of the candy off and popped it in her mouth. "Clara, if you know something about this Eula's murder, you need to tell the police."

Clara's eyes flicked between Connie and the other half of the chocolate bar. Connie waved the chocolate back and forth under Clara's nose. "Especially if the police arrested the wrong person."

"None of my business; won't talk to the cops." Clara yanked the candy from Connie's hand and resumed her enjoyment.

"Well, tell us then. I mean, do we need to worry 'bout getting killed, too?" Lula's voice rose.

Clara shook her head. "Not unless you've got money – lots and lots of money."

"Clara." Connie kept her voice soft, almost as if they were sharing a secret. "Are you sure Eula had a lot of money?"

Clara puffed out her scrawny chest with importance. "Yup, her daddy left it to her."

"Then why on Earth did she live on the streets?" Connie asked.

"Eula said money didn't do you any good without a family, she didn't have any family. Guess that's why she decided to see an attorney so she could leave everything to her young friend, the one the police arrested. Damn fools, they should have arrested Eula's attorney." Clara gave a snort of laughter. "She called him a horse's ass."

"Seems like I've heard someone else call a certain attorney by that name," Lula whispered to Connie.

Connie dug down in her pocket again and pulled out twenty dollars and handed it to Clara. "Here, buy yourself a whole box of chocolate, and thank you."

"I think it's time for us to move on, maybe try the mission down the street. See if we can get beds for tonight," Lula said as she pulled on Connie's sleeve. "We'll catch up with you later, Clara."

Energized by their discovery, Connie and Lula hurried down the street. "We need to get in touch with Tank." Connie whispered her voice tight with excitement.

They rounded the corner and ducked into the first alley they could find. Lula pulled the cell phone from her bra. "Damn skippy, and I'm just the woman to do it."

_sSsSs_

"Good nap, Babe?"

Stephanie opened her eyes to find Ranger sitting on the edge of the bed. She yawned and smiled. "Yeah, I did. What time is it?"

"Time to eat, you hungry?"

Her stomach answered with a loud grumble. Embarrassed, she looked down at the bedcovers. "I didn't think so, but maybe I'm wrong."

Ranger smiled and peeled the sheets back. "Come on, let's feed the beast and then I'll give you the full tour."

Stephanie accepted Ranger's outstretched hand and stood cautiously. Her legs were steadier than they were before her nap. Ranger gave her a soft kiss and suddenly she wasn't interested in food. She leaned in for another kiss, but Ranger backed off.

"Tempting offer, Babe, but you need to rest for a couple more days before I take you up on it." Ranger traced his fingertips down her jaw line until his open hand cupped her chin.

Disappointed, but appeased, she let Ranger guided her down the hallway with a warm hand against the small of back. Whenever they passed an open door, Stephanie snuck a quick peek inside.

When they reached the end of the hallway, Stephanie stopped in amazement. The room before her appeared to be an exaggerated version of a family room. Three oversized couches were strategically placed around the room, as were four large chairs. The flagstone fireplace stretched the entire length of the far wall. Recessed above the mantel was a huge flat screen TV. The opposing wall was a double set of sliding glass doors, which, she assumed, led out to a deck, but her view was restricted by the evening's darkness. Just one more thing to explore later.

"Wow," she murmured before he led her over to one of the perfectly positioned stools at the bar in the kitchen, pulled it out, and lifted her up onto the seat.

Stephanie watched as Ranger moved with ease around the kitchen and she wondered if Ranger could cook as well as he seemed to be able to do everything else in life.

"Smells wonderful, did you make it?"

"No, you have Alfredo to thank for tonight's dinner." Ranger opened a drawer and selected a two placemats with matching cloth napkins, then placed one set in front of her and the other set next to her. "What would you like to drink?"

"Water's good," she answered, feeling a little foolish at being waited on by him.

He slid out a second drawer, this one deeper, and lifted a covered plate and placed it in front of her. The wonderful aroma of pasta sauce and cheese started her mouth watering. He lifted the cover off the plate of – something suspiciously green. She eyed it surreptitiously as he reached back down into the warming drawer for a second plate, this one for himself.

"Eat, Babe." He settled into the stool next to her.

She hesitated, then lifted a bite to her mouth and chewed. "This is good! What is it?"

He smiled. "Spinach lasagna."

Stephanie made a face somewhere between distrust and disbelief then looked at him from the corner of her eyes. He smiled, took the fork from her hand, and fed her another bite. "Eat," he instructed. The soft chirping of his cell phone stopped the next bite he was directing toward her mouth. He placed the fork back in her hand and pointed at her plate before he got up and stepped away from the bar.

Stephanie sighed when she looked at her plate. Maybe if she ate with her eyes closed, her stomach wouldn't see that the food was green.

"Yo," Ranger said while he padded across the kitchen in his bare feet to the refrigerator. He listened for a few seconds and then said, "Interesting."

Stephanie watched him bend over to remove something from the bottom section and shoved another bite into her mouth. She swallowed hard at the sight of his tight backside and hurried to put another bite into her mouth. He continued to listen while he went about making himself a salad. She couldn't take her eyes off him – he was perfection. She wondered if he'd let her in on the 'interesting' part of his conversation; he'd probably make her clean her plate first. She sighed and looked down at her plate, surprised all but two bites of the green stuff was gone. Huh.

"Put her in the safe house until further notice." He carried his salad to the bar and settled himself back on the stool.

Her who? Had they found the real killer? And why not take 'her' down to the police station? Stephanie's thoughts drifted until she heard a booming laugh and froze. She looked around and tried to figure out where it came from, then realized it was Ranger. Amazed, she stared at his face as she brought another bite of food toher mouth. He still wore a smile on his face when he sat back down and took another bite of his food.

Finding her voice, she asked, "Did the guys find the killer and what's so funny?"

Ranger shook his head. "Got a lead."

Stephanie waited a few beats, but he offered no additional information. "You are going to share what it is, right?"

Ranger regarded her a moment. "I will when you finish your meal, but I have to meet with Tank, so you'd better hurry."

Stephanie wanted to know what had been discovered, so she picked up her fork and stabbed one of the two remaining bite-sized chunks of lasagna.

_sSsSs_

Joe pulled the battered, nondescript car to the house on Kings Boulevard and rested one hand on the steering wheel while he rubbed his tired, burning eyes with the other. It had been less than eighteen hours since the last time he'd crashed his way into Ranger's little hideaway and here he was again. Joe yawned. No wonder the man kept his address a secret. He'd be home asleep if it hadn't been for Gaspick's demotion back to traffic cop. The chief had specifically asked that Joe be assigned to the case, a little unusual given his relationship with the prime suspect. His gut told him Manoso was behind both of those decisions; better to work with your competition in this case.

He released a deep sigh and climbed out of the car. After he walked up the sidewalk, he raised his fist to pound of the door when it swung open. No words of welcome were exchanged; Joe and Tank scowled at each other with narrowed eyes. Joe pushed his way in, daring the other man to cross him.

"You look like shit," Tank said.

"Fuck you," Joe flipped the reply over his shoulder. "I want to talk to Stephanie." Joe stopped in the middle of the room and then turned to face the large man. "Now."

Tank raised his hands in a 'can't help you' manner. "She's not here."

"What the hell do you mean she's not here??" Joe gritted his teeth. "Where is she?"

Tank shrugged.

Joe allowed all his pent up anger to show in his face; all his fatigue and all the blows to his male ego. Every emotion normally hidden by his cop face was evident. "I want to know where Manoso has taken her."

Tank gave a slight raise to one eyebrow in response. "He didn't say."

"You'd lie to your own mother if he told you to," Joe spat out in anger. "Hope you don't mind, but I think I'll just look around," he added, then made his way down the hall.

Tank leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms while he watched the cop begin to search each room. Hector sauntered up and stood beside him. The smaller man calmly munched a sandwich while he watched Joe's backside disappear down the hall. Tank chuckled at the interest he saw in Hector's eyes.

"Down, boy."

Joe paused outside the last door. So far, all of the rooms had been empty. Damn Manoso. He opened the last door and stood in the doorway. He felt a strong hand close over his shoulder and turned to find Ranger.

"I want to see Stephanie," Joe demanded.

Ranger motioned his head in the direction of the bed. "That's not her."

Joe flicked his eyes between the covered lump in the bed and Ranger's face.

"Didn't think so," Joe said and pulled the door closed. "Where is she and who the hell's in there?"

"Come with me." Ranger turned and walked toward his office. "We've discovered some information I think you'll be very interested to hear."

_sSsSs_

Stephanie wiggled deeper into the soft bed. The silky sheets felt like heaven against her bare skin. Umm – so good. Hmm – so wrong. Bare skin. Soft sheets. Carefully, she slid her hand out along the mattress in front of her. No body in that direction. She inched her butt back slightly. No warm, hard body behind her. Where–? Realization brought her body bolt upright. The Batcave!

A light knock sounded on the door. "Umm, just a minute." She scrambled out of the bed wondering what to put on when she saw a beautiful dark blue robe draped across the arm of the chair. She hurried to put it on and ran her fingers through her hair. "Come in." Alfredo entered the room carrying a breakfast tray loaded with the most wonderful breakfast smells Stephanie had ever inhaled.

"Good morning, Miss Plum," Alfredo smiled.

"Morning, and please, just call me Stephanie." She felt her cheeks warming.

"I apologize for the early breakfast, but Ricardo called and requested your presence at the safe house as soon as possible. It seems a Mr. Morelli would like to speak to you."

Stephanie flopped down onto the end of the bed. "Great."

Alfredo set the tray down on a small table. "When you're ready, you'll find me in the kitchen. He asked that I escort you." He graced her with a beautiful smile.

"Thanks," Stephanie said as he left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

What to do first: eat or shower? Her stomach growled its vote. "Good choice," she agreed and jumped off the bed and sat down at the small table to explore the wonderful aromas rising from the tray.

She lifted one of the silver covers and discovered Eggs Benedict, fresh strawberries and cream, and toast; under the smaller cover, she discovered a Boston cream donut. Not sure where to start, she poured a cup of steaming hot coffee.

Feeling decadent, she mashed a cream-drenched strawberry between her teeth. _Today, I'm going to need all my strength_, she thought as she shoved a bite of the egg into her mouth, a drop of hollandaise sauce managed to drip onto her chin. She rolled her eyes in silent homage of the wonderful taste and eagerly finished her breakfast. A nice hot shower and she'd be ready to face anyone, Joe Morelli included.

_sSsSs_

Alfredo watched the tentative approach of the young woman when she entered the kitchen. She balanced the tray with care, trying to decide where to place it.

"Please, just place it on the counter." He pointed to a spot over the dishwasher.

Stephanie set the tray down, then stuffed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. "Thanks for breakfast. It was delicious."

Alfredo smiled at her nervousness. "You're welcome. Are you ready?" He observed the slight droop of her shoulders.

"Yeah." She blew out a heavy sigh and looked around the room, avoiding his eyes.

"Sounds like you'd rather stay here and investigate, maybe ask me a million questions?" Alfredo teased.

Stephanie flashed him a big smile. "Yeah, I would."

"Well, I'll see what I can arrange later." Alfredo selected a set of keys from inside a cupboard. "Shall we?" He pressed a button next to the cupboard. What had looked like a regular door slid sideways to reveal a small elevator.

"You're kidding, right?" Stephanie couldn't hide the surprise from her voice.

"The cars are kept in an underground garage." Alfredo held the door for her to enter.

"I knew he was Batman," Alfredo heard her whisper when the elevator started its descent. It took everything in him not to laugh. Ricardo needed this woman in his life.


	13. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer:__Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!_

_A/N: Thanks to Skye and May for all their help._

**The Opportunist**

Chapter Thirteen

Stephanie pivoted her head from one man to the other, not that she paid any attention to the words spoken between the two. She was more focused on the alliance they had seemed to form without actually discussing it. Joe and Ranger, the Invisible Twins no longer, strategized and made plans about how to clear her name and keep her out of trouble. Stephanie shook her head and struggled to focus on the conversation. Damn concussion, her brain still felt like mud. Soon, the undertones of their conversation ended and she had no clue what had been decided.

When the last wisp of her sigh faded, the two men spun around to face her and spoke in simultaneous succession.

"Babe?"

"Cupcake?"

"What?" She rubbed her temples to ease her confusion and the headache that formed when she tried to think.

Impatience settled on Joe's face. "Weren't you listening?"

Stephanie shrugged. "No." Why bother to lie? She had no clue, and it would be obvious.

A smile tugged on Ranger's lips. "Not a problem, Babe. I'll fill you in when we get back."

"Back? Back where? " Stephanie's eyes flicked up to meet his; she hoped he meant back to the Batcave. She not only wanted to explore the man's home, but also the man himself.

Ranger honored her with a slight smile, then shook his head. "Call my cell by four this afternoon if we have a go. Need some time to set it up," he said to Joe.

Joe nodded, a scowl planted on his face. "I want to talk with Stephanie, now. In private," he added.

Ranger raised a brow and turned in Stephanie's direction, allowing her to make the decision.

"No, Joe. Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of Ranger. There is no 'private' business between us any longer." From the corner of her eye, Stephanie saw Ranger's brow arch higher, a fraction of a smile tipping his lips upward. Now she and Ranger – they could use lots of private time.

"Stephanie, please." Joe fought to hold back his panic at her response and anger directed at Ranger. Reluctantly, she nodded and hoped she wouldn't regret the decision. She slid her eyes to Ranger and saw him give an indiscernible nod, his face neutral.

"I'll be outside the door if you need me." With one last, long cut of his eyes in Morelli's direction, Ranger closed the door behind him.

"What do you want, Joe?" Just because she'd had a momentary fit of weakness, Stephanie saw no reason to make this easy for him.

Joe blew a stream of air up his face strong enough to ruffle the hair on his forehead. "Cupcake, I miss you."

Stephanie blinked, hoping she hadn't heard him correctly. She couldn't believe he'd stooped so low as to use that line. "What? Why?"

Joe winced. "Because we're good together. I miss you and I want you back…" he trailed off, his eyes not quite meeting hers.

"And?" Stephanie prompted.

"And I don't want to see you with _him._ He's not right for you, Cupcake. I am."

Stephanie felt the anger just a second before it spewed from her mouth. "So _that's_ what this is about! You're jealous!"

Joe closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, no, I'm not. I just miss you." Joe hesitated, and then took a step closer. "I want us to give it another try."

Stephanie took two steps backwards, waving her hands back and forth in front of her. "Not a chance, Joe. We tried, several times and it never worked. Don't you ever stop to wonder why? I've found someone I really care about and I won't let you sabotage it with your misguided male pride."

Joe stared at her, his forehead lifted in disbelief. "Are you telling me you love him?"

Stephanie mirrored his countenance, eyes wide and eyebrows raised, as she stared back in total surprise at his question and even more shocked with her answer. "Y-e-e-e," she cleared her throat and tried again, "yes, I am."

The two continued to stare at each other until Joe blinked then rubbed a hand across his face. "Guess all I can do is wish you well and tell you, no matter what, I'm in this till the end. I'll help protect you and work toward clearing your name."

Stephanie took a step toward him, and then faltered. "Thanks, Joe. You're a good friend."

Joe looked at her sharply. "You gonna tell me where he's got you stashed?"

Stephanie gave Joe a weak smile and shook her head. "If he didn't tell you, I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to, either."

Joe nodded. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Stephanie looked straight into Joe's eyes and said, "I do know what I'm doing."

_sSsSs_

Cheryl paced the length of Dickie's office. She didn't like the information she'd picked up on the streets. Rumor had it one of the old bats could identify her and had now disappeared. Further gossip hinted the police were running out of reasons to pursue the Plum woman and she'd soon be cleared of the charges.

Stephanie Plum. Cheryl mentally spat out the name and her lips twisted with contempt. The perfect foil, at least until the horse's ass had gotten an attack of conscience. She closed her eyes in disgust; she needed to make a decision about him. He could easily be replaced. Once the money was safe in her possession, he was history.

Cheryl needed to find the old woman and eliminate her, and the sooner the better. She'd have to make sure Dickie didn't have a clue of her plans. Cheryl cleared off her desk and shut down her computer. It was time for her to go home and change into her street rags and hit the homeless haunts. Someone, somewhere, would know where Ranger Manoso had hidden the old woman that could identify her.

_sSsSs_

Dickie drummed his fingers on the top of the cheap metal desk in the small interview room at the police station while he waited impatiently for his latest client. As his fingers marched through their rhythm, he thought about Cheryl and the tremendous liability she had become. There had to be a way to sever their ties without endangering himself or the money.

He jerked his head up when the door opened. Just one more pathetic, sniveling example of the dregs of humanity trudged through, nudged by someone on the other side of the door, no doubt an officer of the court. He hated pro bono cases. Dickie pushed all thoughts of his personal situation from his mind and stood with a bright, false smile. He extended his hand to the young offender. "Hi, I'm Dickie Orr, your court appointed attorney of record…"

_sSsSs_

Clara leaned back, her stomach full and a look of contentment on her face. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten so well. At first, all the large men had frightened her, but each of them turned out to be kind, patient, and respectful. She felt relaxed in their presence and rather fond of them, too. They'd fed her well, allowed her to sleep late, and hadn't even seemed upset when she'd spent more than two hours luxuriating in the large bathtub.

A quiet sigh escaped past Clara's lips. Having these gentle giants close made life easier, but she knew her time in this lovely house was limited. She'd overheard the largest one, Tank, talking to the handsome one, Ranger, about their plans for tonight. Clara understood the price for her accommodations was the identification of the real killer, which, if things went according to plan, would happen tonight.

Part of her wanted to extend their hospitality out a little longer. She'd thought about pretending to be unable to make a positive ID, but when it came down to it, their kindness deserved the truth. Clara closed her eyes and debated the wisdom and ramifications of each choice. It looked like she'd have to decide soon.

_sSsSs_

They were halfway back to the Batcave when an eye-opening realization sunk into Stephanie's consciousness. "Shit!" Ranger slid his eyes toward her, an eyebrow lifted in silent question. Stephanie shook her head. "Nothing." How could she have been so stupid? They'd been in a safe house. Was it wired? Had Ranger overheard her conversation with Joe? For the second time today, she'd failed to pay attention. "You wouldn't consider putting the car in reverse so we could do this trip over again, would you?" Stephanie asked.

Ranger smiled. "No."

"Damn," she murmured under her breath.

Ranger pulled the car into the driveway and rolled the car forward before lowering his window. His eyes flicked side to side and into the rearview mirror; at the same time, the fingers on his left hand entered the security code without error. When the gate opened, he advanced the car forward and then waited for it to shut before continuing up the drive.

They motored past the circular drive and Ranger steered the car toward the back of the house then reached under the dashboard and pressed a button. Before her eyes, Stephanie watched a portion of the home's foundation open up to reveal the underground garage.

Stephanie's jaw hung open; stunned, she swung her gaze back and forth between the magical opening and Ranger. He didn't bother to hold his laugh in check and palmed the steering wheel with his right hand as he parked the car inside. Dim interior lights brightened when the door closed behind them.

Stephanie didn't wait for him to open the car door. She jumped from the car and scampered across the massive floor to the other side of the garage. "Explain these," she said, her index finger pointing in the direction of the wall decorated with three flat screen monitors.

"Those are computers," Ranger said with a grin on his face.

"I know that." Stephanie rolled her eyes in exasperation. "For what?"

Ranger gave a small chuckle before he answered. "They're just ordinary computers, Babe. Easier to use them down here in case we're in a hurry."

"And what about these?" Stephanie quizzed and lifted a portion of what appeared to be a wet suit.

"Wet suits." Ranger watched as she pulled the suit off the wall and looked at it from the front.

A deep frown formed on her face. "Not enough anatomically correct areas for it to be a Batsuit," she complained.

"Babe, I'm sorry to disappoint you," he approached her, his words soft, "but I'm just a man."

"Right, Bruce," she snorted and sidestepped around him. "I may not have the rules and regulations of how to be the perfect bounty hunter memorized, but I know for a fact that, you, Ricardo Carlos Manoso, are no ordinary man."

Ranger reached for her and pulled her in tight. "Why don't you think I ordinary, Stephanie?"

She felt her body melt against his; the heat of his hands should have made her sweat, but instead, she shivered. Her lips tingled with anticipation when he lowered his head.

"Tell me, Stephanie," he whispered.

Her eyelids dropped halfway, shuttering her eyes as they focused on his mouth. In the back of her mind, she heard the soft sound of his voice say, "Stephanie," not once, but twice.

Shit!! He _had_ heard her conversation with Joe. Her eyes were no longer glazed with passion; instead, they blazed with anger that she used to hide her embarrassment.

"You bastard!" She struggled to remove herself from his hold. "You listened in on my private conversation."

He loosened his grip and allowed her to pull away from him. She narrowed furious eyes and hissed, "Singarte un caballo."

Both of Ranger's eyebrows lifted in shock at the Spanish insult. "What did you say?"

"You heard me." Damn, she hoped he didn't ask her to translate what she had just said. Hector had muttered the phrase every time Joe came around, so she was pretty sure it wasn't good.

She whirled around and started to stomp away, then remembered after two steps that she had no idea which way to go. Shit, just the thought of turning around to face him again pissed her off even more. Damn, she hated to ruin a good exit.

A sleek, dark movement caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Exit problem forgotten, she turned her head to follow it. Out from under one of the other cars, an all black feline approached her. The cat stopped in front of her, raised its head, and looked at her. Stephanie had never been much of a cat person, and she wasn't sure if its manner of observing her was a good thing or not, so she decided to wait the cat out.

The cat's long tail flitted in a graceful, mesmerizing dance. That alone would have captured Stephanie's attention if it hadn't been for the cat's face. Its ebony fur was unmarked, except for a narrow white streak above its left eye. Leave it to Ranger to own a cat that appeared to be lifting an eyebrow.

Both woman and cat continued to watch each other, curiosity growing stronger on both sides. Finally, the cat approached and sniffed the toe of Stephanie's shoe. Satisfied that no imminent danger existed, the cat began to slink figure eights around her ankles, with each turn, the cat's purr grew louder.

Finished with the ankle dance, the cat sat down in front of her, posture perfect, and tail wrapped in a tight circle around its paws. "Meow."

Stephanie caught a quick flash of a pink tongue and a sharp set of baby fangs.

"The cat won't hurt you," Ranger said.

"I know that!" Stephanie's voice came out sharper than she'd intended. She stooped to pick up the cat and hoped her action appeared braver than she felt. Holding small creatures, babies included, always made her nervous. At least the cat had claws to grab a hold of something if she dropped it. Wincing at the painful thought, Stephanie relaxed a little as the cat settled into her arms.

"What's its name?" Stephanie asked while she stroked her hand between the two pointed ears and down the shiny black coat.

"CB," Ranger answered with a slight hesitation.

"What does CB stand for?" Stephanie displayed one of her rare moments of patience and waited for his answer. From the uncomfortable look on Ranger's face, the answer promised to be good.

"The guys named her. She wandered in here one day hungry and hurt. Tank took care of her. We just sort of adopted her." His actions resembled those of a three-year-old child struggling to come up with a believable reason for why he'd stuffed a bean up his nose.

"What does CB stand for?" Stephanie asked again.

Ranger sighed. "Cat Babe."

At first, all she could do was stare at him with her mouth open. "Cat Babe?" She managed to repeat, then dissolved into a fit of laughter.

"Wasn't my idea," Ranger said and he lifted the cat out of her arms.

Stephanie tried to figure out if the look of relief on the cat's face was real or her imagination, but when she looked at Ranger with the cat in his arms, both with an eyebrow raised, a new burst of laughter erupted. "Oh my God!" Stephanie almost wet her pants. "Bathroom, quick!"

Ranger pointed to his right and she took off.


	14. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer:__ Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!_

_A/N:__ Thanks to Skye for all her help. But most of all, I'd like to thank you, the readers, for all the support you've shown the story. Enjoy!_

**The Opportunist**

Chapter Fourteen

Stephanie and Ranger had just entered the kitchen of his home when his cell phone rang. _Damn_, she thought, _he has the best luck_. First, the cat had distracted her from challenging him about eavesdropping in on the conversation she had with Joe, then a quick tour of the house, and now the phone. Disgusted, she crossed over to the adjourning family room and flopped into one of the chairs. CB suddenly appeared. The cat settled herself across the top of Stephanie's feet, and then swatted one of her small paws across the toe of her shoe.

Stephanie couldn't get a feel for Ranger's conversation. The phrases 'Yes', 'No', and 'We'll be ready' didn't translate into a lot of information. Her attention drifted between Batman and Bat-beast and her frown deepened. She saw Ranger glance her way and noticed his eyes soften when he caught sight of the cat. Torn between rolling her eyes at him and kicking the cat, she settled for a long sigh.

So far, Stephanie couldn't decide if she were more impressed by the beauty of Ranger's home or frustrated by the fact that is was somehow ordinary and comfortable. She mentally reviewed the rooms they'd toured earlier: dining room – normal, living room – normal, den and library – normal, multiple bedrooms – normal as well. The minimal furnishings fit his personality, but she was disappointed there hadn't been any cool Batman secrets. Just normal, ordinary, albeit expensive and exquisite, stuff.

Ranger disconnected the call, his full attention now refocused on Stephanie. "Looks like you're a natural, Babe."

Stephanie didn't take time to think, she just narrowed her eyes. "A natural what?"

With a soft laugh, Ranger closed the few steps that separated them. He lowered and balanced himself on the arm of the chair, settled his hand on the back of her neck and drew her up to him so her mouth was close to his. "A natural with small creatures. Could be broadened to – other horizons." He angled his head down to brush his lips lightly across hers giving her no chance to ask what he meant. "Come on, we've got one more room to explore." All other thoughts flew from her mind at the opportunity to discover more of her mysterious avenger.

He took her hand and led her down a short hall on the other side of the kitchen, then reached around her, pressed his thumb against a small metal box. A soft click sounded and the door unlocked. Stephanie's mouth fell open when she looked inside. There were banks of computers lined up on the far wall, small electronic devices neatly lined up on a row of shelves next to the computers, and a red phone sat on one corner of the large, hand-carved mahogany desk. _Could it be the bat-phone?_ she wondered. Then she thought, _With Ranger anything is possible_.

She let her eyes travel around the room and almost giggled. Ah ha! Personal stuff! She approached the desk with eagerness. Men usually kept their most personal items close; at least, this man would. She put her hand down on the red phone and turned to face him, not saying a word, but wriggling her eyebrows instead.

"Not a toy, Babe," he said and rested his hand on top of hers.

"Can't call Pino's and order a pizza?" He smiled and worked his fingers between hers and lifted her hand from the phone. "That wouldn't be a direct line to the White House or something, would it?"

His eyes narrowed. "Or something. Trust me, you don't want to answer this phone." Stephanie shivered; she did trust him. She raised her hands in mock surrender and backed away from it. Her focus shifted to the pictures scattered around. The first one to catch her eye was of a girl about ten years old with a smile identical to Ranger's.

"She's beautiful and she looks just like you." Stephanie turned in time to catch the last remains of a wistful smile on Ranger's face. _Hmm, another facet of this complicated man's personality to explore_, she thought as she placed the picture back on the desk. "How old is she?"

"Ten and going on twenty-five. She's also very smart and sneaky." Ranger reached out and arranged the position of the frame.

"Of that, I have no doubt," Stephanie whispered.

The next picture made her smile; it was Ranger, Tank, Lester, and Bobby dressed in Army fatigues and smiling for the camera. Her eyes traveled to the next picture and her eyes grew wide.

"How did you get this?" She picked up the picture and raised her eyes to his. "This was the night you took Perrin's car away." She returned her gaze to the picture secured in a dark wooden frame. It was a shot of her seated at the bar, the top two buttons of her shirt undone, the black skirt riding high on her thighs to expose a pair of long, shapely legs. _Damn_, she thought, _I look pretty hot_.

Ranger pulled her close into him. "Do you remember the man who wanted the phone number for your group sex night?" Stephanie felt her face flame at the memory. It may have been a stupid line to use, but it _had_ kept Perrin's attention. She didn't bother to turn around; she'd heard the smirk in his voice. Instead, she broke from his embrace and made her way to the photos that hung on the wall.

There were pictures of people she guessed were family, some with Ranger in his dress uniform, and some of him in fatigues with fellow soldiers. One picture in particular held her attention; it showed Tank, Bobby, and Hector all in Speedos, and Ranger in a wet suit. She tried to decide which revealed more, the Speedos or the stretchy rubber wet suit, when her eyes drifted to, then widened at, another picture of the back of the boat. In large black letters, the name _Babe_ was inscribed. Stephanie whirled around and glared at Ranger. "Is Babe your favorite nickname for all women?"

"No. There is only one woman I call Babe, and that's you."

"Really?" She turned to look into his eyes, her breath frozen somewhere between her lungs and her throat.

Ranger offered her a silent stare.

"You want me to believe the boat is named after me?" Ranger continued his silent scrutiny. _Oh, boy_, Stephanie thought, _Batman's bringing out the big guns now_. "What are you trying to tell me here, Ranger?"

He looked amused and stepped close to wrap his arms around her waist and draw her tight against his body. "I think you know what it is."

"Maybe I need you to stop playing games and just say it. Words, Ranger; I need the words."

His arms tightened fractionally and he gazed into her soul through her eyes for what seemed like an eternity, then finally, he spoke, "Same thing I told you before, Babe. The Batcave is forever."

Stephanie tried to calm the banging in her chest, but her heart wouldn't listen to her attempts to cajole it into submission. "You want forever with me?"

He nodded and gave her the full two hundred watts. "Yes, I do. I love you, always have, and always will."

She gave him a wide smile and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I think I'd like to tour the Bat-bed now, Batman."

_sSsSs_

"Boss says you and yours stay outside."

Morelli stared in frustration at the huge man. "Tank, I'm the law here. If this goes down, we need to be able to testify to it in court."

Tank folded his arms across his massive chest effectively blocking the front door of the safe house. His eyes were hard, his face blank. "Got a warrant?"

Joe cursed under his breath. "Damn it, you know I don't. Ranger and I agreed to work together on this. I trusted his word is good enough."

Tank straightened abruptly and took a step closer to Joe, the menace on his face undisguised. "His word is good. You'll get what you need. We're professionals; we've

got sound and video good to go. Clara's description of a short, petite woman matches Dickie's secretary, Cheryl, and she's probably the person responsible for hitting Stephanie over the head." We know she has a penchant for wearing wigs, so that would account for her having gray hair at the time of the murder and she'd have access to the details of Eula's will."

Joe gave a tight nod in agreement. "You can bet your ass Dickie is messed up in this, too.'

Tank stared at him for a few beats longer before he nodded in return. "That would be a good bet, so keep you eyes open for him, too. Lula, Connie and Clara are going to be inside the bus station looking for Cheryl." Tank noticed Morelli's surprised look. "Don't worry, two guys have assigned to stay close to them. Just be at the bus station and in position, I don't want any screw ups."

_sSsSs_

Cheryl changed into her homeless bag lady clothes and checked herself in the mirror. Just a little dirt rubbed into her face and the picture would be complete. No one would ever recognize her. Satisfied, she locked the door to her apartment and snuck out the back entrance of the building. So engrossed in her own activities, Cheryl never noticed the man hiding in the shadows.

But Dickie noticed her. Her appearance might be different, but her carriage gave her away. He waited until she'd advanced several hundred yards up the street before he followed her.

_sSsSs_

Behind cupped hands, the flame of Hector's lighter glowed strong and steady. His head lowered to avert the momentary brightness from his eyes. He watched the woman walk up the street and tipped his head upward to blow out a long, tight jet of smoke into the night.

The woman's disguise was good, but not good enough. She blended in with the other homeless; she'd even changed her posture, hunched over at the shoulder with slow steps. He studied her intently when she passed under the stark illumination of the streetlight. Tattered gloves covered her youthful hands and the smudge marks that decorated her face added age to the impression. What she had forgotten were her eyebrows. They were perfect, so perfect they looked out of place on her face. And no matter how she covered up her appearance, her expensive perfume wafted along behind her and lingered for several moments. Not the typical scent a homeless person left behind.

He drew deep on the cigarette while he watched her make her way inside the bus station. Dropping the cigarette onto the ground, he covered it with the toe of his black boot and extinguished it with one swift half turn of his shoe. Guarded by the shadows, he allowed the corners of his mouth to flick upwards into a nasty smile that lasted the span of a heartbeat.

_sSsSs_

Joe tugged the bill of the ball cap down lower to conceal most of his face. He wanted to avoid Manoso's thugs as long as possible. There was no way he was going to sit on the sidelines while Manoso ran tonight's show. Son of a bitch could kiss his ass for all Joe cared.

He hugged close to the buildings and slowed his steps when he came within a block of the bus station. Joe glanced up in time to see Hector's back as he turned to enter the terminal. The little shit had the advantage of invisibility even in plain sight. Joe's eyes searched out the object of Hector's attention. Must be the female vagrant.

_Only one way to find out_, Joe thought and shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket and jogged across the street. He reached the bus station door just as it closed behind Hector.

_sSsSs_

Shit, he'd lost her. Dickie stood on the sidewalk, and then turned in all directions, trying to locate Cheryl. He figured she be stupid enough to try something tonight so he'd waited outside her apartment. The little piece of 'pro bono' scum the courts had assigned to him thought he could make a deal by sharing the rumors that a witness to Eula's murder would be apprehended tonight.

He'd almost missed Cheryl when she left her apartment complex through the back exit. Hell, in full disguise she looked just like a nasty piece of sidewalk lint.

She had to be close. Dickie's nervous eyes raked up and down the street. All of the stores surrounding the bus station were closed either due to the hour or on a more permanent basis. She had to be close.

_sSsSs_

"I told you to wear that old pair of tennis shoes, but nooo, little Miss Perfect had to go and wear those ratty old pumps," Lula huffed. "Girl, it's your problem your damn feet hurt. Ain't that right Clara?"

Clara ignored the bickering woman, her concentration centered solely on searching the faces of everyone they passed.

"Shut up," Connie's words hissed at the large woman waddling in front on her. "If we catch her there's no way I'm gonna have my picture taken with those nasty things on my feet."

Lula's laughter forced her to stop. "You are one crazy woman. You dress up like the maiden sister of Freddy Kruger and you're worried about how your feet are going to look in a picture? Girl, your feet probably won't even be in the picture. Now that stringy stuff you been calling hair for the past two days…" She shook with a fresh burst of laughter. "If you were a plus sized woman of color, the news camera would be your friend." Lula pretended to fuss with her matted hairdo. "You're going to look like a faded stick on the front page of tomorrow's paper."

Connie stopped to glare at Lula. "When we're finished with this don't you ever, ever speak to me again, you overzealous grease guzzler."

Lula's laughter stopped and she planted her plump hands on her hips. "Oh, so we gonna go from fashion sense to dietary habits now?" Lula continued, "seems to me you do more than your fair share of digestive demolition when it comes to donuts."

Instead of narrowing her eyes for a fight, Connie's eyes opened wide and her mouth clamped shut. Amazed, Lula turned to see what had caused Connie to turn to stone.

The horse's ass himself ran right by them.

In silent agreement, the three women hurried after him.

_sSsSs_

Cheryl shuffled into the bus station and darted her eyes around the inside. All night her skin had crawled with the feeling that someone was watching her every move. She'd tried to attribute it to nerves and her horrible appearance. But now, mixed with others dressed like her, the feeling had gotten stronger.

She made her way to a bench where an older man, dressed in ratty clothes, slept and sat down. She carefully scanned the interior of the bus station searching for Eula's friend while at the same time, she moved her ankle back and forth, strengthened by the feel the knife she'd hidden inside her boot. Her eyes passed over one sleeping lump to the next as she searched society's castoffs for the woman.

"Damn it," Cheryl whispered as her eyes rested on a familiar form, and she quickly dipped her head. What the hell was he doing here? He looked like a fish out of water dressed in his suit and tie among all the casually dressed travelers and ragged homeless. Damn fool must have followed her. She'd have to take care of him before she could take care of the old woman's friend.

_sSsSs_

Tank observed the whole fiasco from the rooftop across from the bus station. How in the hell had tonight's operation gotten so complicated? There were cops everywhere. He did not want to report to Ranger that the job had been a bust because of all the unexpected guests at this little party. Tank's eyes narrowed menacingly. Morelli had better hope they didn't meet in one of these dark alleys tonight if this job went south.

Without lowering his night binoculars, he barked into the small microphone clipped to his collar. "This has got to be Trenton's version of a cluster fuck."

"Shit," Bobby whispered back.

The door to the bus station opened and the imitation sidewalk dweller he knew to be Cheryl ran out.

"Fuck!" Tank yelled. "Grab and gag. Grab and gag."

He watched the whole mess unfold before his eyes. Bobby grabbed Cheryl, and in their momentary struggle, he heard Bobby's sharp groan of pain and then saw Cheryl drop a bloody knife.


	15. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer: Thank you JE for the wonderful playmates!_

_A/N: Since this is the last chapter of this story, I want to say a big thank you to all of you, the readers, for the lovely responses and support you have shown this story. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all the messages and reviews._

_The next __**BIG**__ thank you goes to Alf, May and Skye for keeping my fingers on the keyboard and then making sense of what I type. These three women are the best and make me try to do my best; I will always admire them for that quality. _

_I must apologize to those readers who are reading this story for the second, third, whatever time… this chapter is totally NEW! The old ending fell short in tying up all the unanswered questions. I hope everyone approves. So now, I present to you, the new and improved ending to The Opportunist._

_P.S. Okay, Rangesmanbabe – I kept my promise! _

**The Opportunist**

Chapter Fifteen and Epilogue

Stephanie moaned as Ranger's lips placed petal soft kisses down her chest. Large, warm hands stroked up her thighs to rest on her hips and his thumbs stroked up and down the crease on either side, drawing strangled gasps from her. He flicked his tongue out to taste the underside of first one breast, then the other, before continuing down over her rib cage.

When he reached her belly button, he closed his mouth over it in a deep kiss, his tongue swirling around, sending shockwaves of pleasure to her center. His thumbs inched closer, bit by bit, until each was stroking up and down on either side of her swollen nub, but not touching it.

Stephanie let out a fierce groan of frustration and arched her hips upward. She felt, rather than heard, him chuckle and he left her belly button and kissed his way down, down, down until he was nuzzling the neatly trimmed curls at the apex of her thighs. Just a few more millimeters and he would be right where she needed…

The intercom on the wall buzzed and Stephanie let out an angry shriek that would scare banshees. Ranger sighed and pulled away. "Where are you going?" she propped herself up on her elbows and asked, incredulous that he would leave her right _now_.

"Babe, Alfredo knows not to call unless it's a dire emergency."

"Not as dire as mine!" she groaned and flopped onto her pillow, willing her hot and bothered hormones to settle down.

Ranger pressed the button on the intercom. "Yes?" His tone suggested someone had better be dying.

"I'm sorry, sir. Robert has been stabbed and your presence is needed at St. Francis immediately."

Ranger released the button and turned back to Stephanie, who was already off the bed and tugging on her clothes. His heart clenched in fear and he crossed to her. "Babe, I'm sorry."

"Bobby needs us, let's go."

He pulled her into his arms for a fierce kiss and then released her. "Have I told you I love you?"

"It's been a few minutes. Get dressed, Batman."

_sSsSs_

The SUV pulled up in front of the hospital. Ranger jumped out as soon as he'd put it in park. As if by telepathy, Ram hopped into the driver's seat while Ranger rounded the front of the vehicle to open Stephanie's door. In a matter of seconds, Stephanie was tugged from the car and into a huge fray of people just inside the electric sliding doors of the Emergency Room.

People surrounded them from all sides; reporters, friends, strangers, all reached out to ask what had happened. Stephanie felt lost in the sea of faces, and would have crumbled from the overwhelming wave of claustrophobia that hit her if Ranger hadn't wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her against his hard body as he shoved through the thick mob. The crowd split in front of them: seemingly, no one wanted to get zapped by Batman's force field.

His smell was like an energy buzz and Stephanie snapped to attention, her eyes staring hard into his handsome face. How had she thought his expression was blank? The determination on his face when he plowed on was powerful. As if he sensed her thoughts, he flicked an amused glance her way, the hard edges of his eyes softening slightly.

He pressed a quick kiss to her lips, then slid his arm from around her waist and took her hand in his after they'd broken free from the mass. They strode to the receptionist desk and Ranger fixed the young receptionist with his dangerous expression. Stephanie saw the young girl freeze and squeezed Ranger's hand to let him know he needed to bring it down a notch. Amazingly, he did. He'd given her the power, the power to tame Batman into Ricardo. Excitement thrummed through her body and she suddenly wished they hadn't been interrupted. He squeezed her hand and she took that as a promise of fulfillment for later.

For some reason, she sensed danger and looked up to let her eyes wander around the waiting room. Over in the corner, an angry Tank loomed over an equally angry Morelli. Warning bells went off in her head and she stormed over to the two of them. "Hey, guys," she said in a slightly louder than normal voice, "what's up?" The two men didn't move or acknowledge she had spoken. "Hello?"

"What were you trying to pull back there, Morelli?" Tank looked like an angry bull and Stephanie could swear she saw smoke fly from his nostrils.

"I was upholding the law. I had a _right_ to be there, unlike you vigilantes who think you can just step in our way whenever you want." Morelli's hands went to his hips and his chin hitched a little higher in self-righteous anger.

Stephanie fought the urge to roll her eyes and stepped into the line of fire with a hand to the center of each chest. "Both of you, enough." For the first time, they noticed her presence and both men's eyes flicked in her direction. _Oh, good Lord._ She wasn't sure she enjoyed both angry gazes directed at her. They were both terrifying in their own right. "Whatever the problem is, get over it. We're here for Bobby, not for male posturing."

Tank opened his mouth to speak and Stephanie silenced him with a glance. She heard Morelli's intake of breath and turned her Burg glare onto him. Both men clamped their mouths shut, sent each other one last angry stare, and then went to their respective corners.

That job done, Stephanie dusted off her hands and took a step only to be blocked by a pair of angry women. "Uh, hey ladies." Her fear wore off and laughter overtook her. "Connie? Is that you? What happened to your hair?"

"Go ahead and laugh, Stephanie," Connie threw her own Burg glare at Stephanie. "Do you know what we've had to do just to help keep you out of jail?"

Stephanie stopped laughing and looked over her two friends. They were dressed in ratty clothing and she thought she detected a bit of an odor coming from them, or more like a potent odor coming from them. "You didn't go live on the streets, did you?"

"That's right, girl! We did. I think fair payment would be the truth about you and Batman. What gives?" Lula was half a second from rhino mode and Stephanie sighed inwardly. After all these two women had been through, she did owe them the truth.

She looked from one dark glare to the other and gave them a slight smile. "We're together. Definitely."

The two women stared at her for a second longer and then erupted in cheers and squeals, gathering Stephanie in a tight group hug. After a few seconds, Stephanie pulled back and looked at the women. "Guys, you know I love you, but you both need a shower."

Her comment was met with a narrowed glare by Connie and a 'hmph' by Lula, but then Lula caught a whiff of herself and said, "Girl, you're right. I told Connie I can't sleep in my own stink. I'm outta here. There's a shower at home with my name on it."

"Wait for me! You drove!" Connie waved at Stephanie and hustled somewhat painfully after Lula. "You'd better not leave, you know I can't run after you!"

Warm arms circled Stephanie's waist and she leaned back into Ranger's heat. She turned her face up to look at him. "How's Bobby?"

"Lost a lot of blood, but he'll be fine; knife didn't hit anything important." He leaned down to give her a soft kiss. "What's up with Tank and Morelli?"

"Don't know, don't care. I told them to get over it. They did."

He smiled at her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Proud of you, Babe."

Stephanie caught a glimpse of Joe watching them and averted her gaze to meet Ranger's. "How long will he be here?"

"Doctor wants him to stay a couple of days, but knowing Bobby, he'll be home tomorrow."He leaned down and nipped at her shoulder with his teeth. "You ready to finish your tour?"

Heat flooded through her, stealing her breath and she could only nod. He flashed a grin at her and bent down to scoop Stephanie into his arms. "Then back to the Batcave."

"Forever," Stephanie murmured, nestling her face into his neck to breathe in his scent.

"Forever," he agreed.

_sSsSs_

**_Two Days Later _**

Under Ranger's controlled touch, the Turbo eased in a prime-parking slot in front of the courthouse. The soft purr of the car's engine muffled the noise coming from the street. He turned his upper body in a slight angle so he could look at the woman sitting next to him. Stephanie nervously licked her lips and wiped her palms down the front of her skirt.

"Babe, you're going to rub the blue off that suit if you don't relax." Ranger reached over and lifted her cold fingers to his lips. "It's just a formality."

"I know, but just the thought of walking back into that place gives me the heebie jeebies," Stephanie tried to smile but her face felt frozen with worry. Not even the sight of Ranger dressed in a suit and tie was enough to distract her feelings of doom. She squelched a scream and jumped when the passenger door opened.

"Good morning, you two," Anderson McKinley, Stephanie's attorney, bent down so he could see inside the car. "How's my client today?"

"Nervous, I just want this to be over." Stephanie admitted.

"Only one way to do that," he held out his hand to assist her from the car. "We have to go inside and face the judge. I promise everything will be over in a matter of minutes."

Stephanie felt her shoulders slump and she glanced in Ranger's direction. He gave her a smile and kissed her hand again. "Come on, Babe, let's go set you free." He released her hand and stepped out of the car.

"Guess it's now or never," she accepted Anderson's hand and stood next to him on the sidewalk with Ranger protectively on the other side.

Ranger's hand rested in the small of her back and he began to guide her away from the band of reports when the advanced toward her.

"Miss Plum, can we have a statement from you about your ex-husband's involvement in this case?" One of the reporters tried to force the microphone into her face. Stephanie felt the pressure of Ranger's hand change when he took one step in front of her and knocked the reporter aside with his shoulder.

"No comment at this time." Anderson shielded her from the other side and gently placed his hand on her upper arm. "Miss Plum may choose to share a few words with you after we conclude our business with the courts."

Ranger hustled them inside the courthouse, down the hall and inside the courtroom. "Breathe, Stephanie." He gave her a little shake, forcing her eyes to center on his face. "It's just routine and I'll be sitting right behind you."

Stephanie clutched her hands around his forearms, drew in a weak breath and leaned into him. "I'm trying."

The next thirty minutes were a blur; she remembered standing when the judge entered and then collapsing back into the hard wooden chair. Anderson's words sounded like disconnected garble. It wasn't until she felt Ranger's hand giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze did the world come back into focus.

"In light of new evidence in the murder of Eula Rutledge, docket number 02399, and the arrest of Cheryl Johnson and Richard Orr as co-conspirators, the court finds Stephanie Plum to be absolved of all responsibility in this crime, assuming the state has no objections, counselor?" The judge looked over to the state's attorney who shook his head. "Very well. You are free to leave this court, Miss Plum. Court is adjourned."

Before the gavel finished banging, Ranger lifted Stephanie over the railing that divided them and kissed her, long and hard. She pushed against his chest to break the kiss and sucked in a lung full of air.

"Is it really over?" Tears of disbelief were streaming down her face.

"It's over, Babe." Ranger steadied her back on her feet then wiped the tears from her face. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Stephanie whispered and rose on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss. She turned around to Anderson and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for everything."

"My pleasure." Anderson smiled. "Now, get out of here and celebrate!"

Ranger circled his arm around Stephanie's waist and pulled her close. "You know, the Vital Records office is just down the hall."

Stephanie looked up at him with a stupefied look. "What?"

"Marriage license." Ranger traced the pad of his thumb over her lower lip. "Forever, Babe."

Stephanie tried to scream 'yes' but not a single sound came out of her mouth so she nodded her head. The smile he flashed her beamed so bright she almost shielded her eyes. "What about blood tests?"

He reached inside his suit jacket and pulled out two official looking pieces of paper. "Done."

"I'm not even going to ask." She laughed and smiled.

"One more thing," he said and reached into his front pocket and pulled out a small ring box. "Stephanie Plum, will you marry me?" He cracked open the box to reveal an over-sized emerald cut diamond set in a beautiful platinum setting.

This time she found the words to answer him, "Yes."

"Forever," he said and slipped the ring on her finger.

Twenty minutes later, Stephanie felt like she was walking on air when she exited the courthouse on the arm of the man she loved. The gaggle of reporters was still waiting for her to come out and descended on her like vultures. "Your call, Babe."

Stephanie looked up at him and said, "Let's do it."

Arm in arm, the two crime fighters waded into the mix and answered every question directed their way. When the last question was answered, they all thanked her for her time and drifted off.

"Well, that was fun." Stephanie giggled.

"Tomorrow's front page will be one to frame." Ranger laughed and hugged her close.

They started toward the Turbo and Stephanie stopped in her tracks. "Uh oh."

"Son of a bitch." Ranger ground the words out through his teeth.

"Let me handle this, okay?"

"All yours, Babe."

Stephanie pulled her arm free from Ranger's and walked in the direction of the car.

"Detective Gaspick, so nice to see you again. Is there a problem?" Gaspick turned around and glared at her. "Oh, sorry, I forgot, it's Officer Gaspick, now isn't it? Or is it Cadet?" She watched as Gaspick's face turned purple with suppressed anger.

"I asked this man to move his car. He refused," Gaspick spat out.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hector wearing a big smirky grin on his face. "You are aware that Hector doesn't speak English, aren't you?" Stephanie sidled up along side of Hector. "Besides, it's not his car. It's his." She pointed in Ranger's direction and almost giggled when Gaspick paled. "I'm sure he'll be happy to discuss the matter with you." She tried, but failed to keep the laughter from her voice. Ranger stood still and glared at Gaspick.

"No problem," Gaspick muttered and hurried off.

Stephanie turned to face Hector and he pulled her into a big hug."Gracias for watching over me," she said and kissed him on the cheek.

Hector smiled and kissed her on her cheek then moved his mouth to her ear. "You're welcome, Babe, anytime. Just promise to keep my secret."

Shocked, Stephanie looked up at him. Astonishment melted into mischief and she nodded. "I promise."

Hector winked at her, tossed a brief wave in Ranger's direction, and climbed into the black SUV parked behind the Porsche.

"You hungry?" Ranger asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"Always." Stephanie answered and covered his arms with hers. "What do you have in mind?" she asked and felt the snicker that rumbled in his chest. "In that case, let's go home."

_**Epilogue**_

_**Eight months later**_

Stephanie looked around the beautiful dark wood paneling of Anderson's office and the shelves lined with leather bound books and remembered her friend, Eula; a woman who refused to enjoy the benefits and luxuries her money could have given her because she didn't have a family to share it with – well, now she did, with one stroke of Stephanie's pen.

She stood between her husband, Ricardo Manoso and Clara, so they could witness her signature on the document. Connie, Lula and Philip Crenshaw, the director of the shelter, stood off to the side. The document, once signed, legally proclaimed all the money Eula had willed to Stephanie was to be designated for the sole use of the 'Eula Ruthledge Memorial Homeless Shelter and Food Pantry'.

She placed the point of the pen on the paper and began the upward stroke of a capital 'S' when Anderson placed his hand on top of hers. "Are you sure? That's a lot of money you're signing away."

She looked into Clara's age-clouded eyes and the faces of her friends, Connie and Lula, but it was the pride-filled chocolate brown eyes of her husband that reinforced her decision. "Yes," she said and she scrawled her name across the line. "I'm sure." When she laid the pen down, she turned to face the small group that had joined in the celebration.

Philip approached her and clasped her hand between his. "We're so grateful to you for your generosity. And thank you for suggesting Clara to be the Director of Volunteers. Already, she's whipping the system into shape. Her insight is invaluable." He smiled over at Clara, who beamed with pride. She was wearing a pale pink suit, one of the many gifts she'd received from Stephanie and Ranger as thanks for her help and to congratulate her in her new job. Clara loved the bright pastel color because it was such a drastic change from the old color she used to wear, also known as 'dirt'.

"The money was never meant to be mine," Stephanie answered and lowered her eyes in embarrassment. "Eula died not understanding that she did have a family and people who loved her." Stephanie reached for Ranger's hand. "This way, I won't miss her as much." Ranger gave her hand a supportive squeeze. "Thank you again, Anderson."

"It was my pleasure, Mrs. Manoso." The attorney paused for a moment, stood and reached across the desk for her hand. "I'd like to take this opportunity to express my admiration for your act of generosity. You are one of a kind."

"No, she was," Stephanie whispered. She slid her arm around Ranger's waist. "We'd like to take you all out to _Le Magnifique_ for dinner, if you're available?"

"Free food? You know I'm there!" Lula burst out. Connie rolled her eyes, but nodded.

"I'd be honored to attend, if that's alright?" Clara asked. Her humble, simplistic response brought tears to Stephanie's eyes and she could only nod and smile when she reached for Clara's hand to give it a squeeze.

"You, Clara, are the guest of honor." Stephanie stepped away from Ranger's hold and hugged the old woman. "You are so special."

"Ladies, gentlemen?" Ranger swept his hand toward the door. "Shall we go?"

_sSsSs_

Stephanie lifted the covers that rested over her and slowly eased her way off the edge of the bed. Ranger seemed to sleep with one eye open and she didn't want to wake him, but the grumbling sounds coming from her stomach were keeping her awake. It was almost like her stomach had radar that was honed in on the chocolate ice cream waiting in the freezer.

She held her breath as she crept from their bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen. She smiled when she felt the baby move and rubbed her hand protectively over the protruding bulge from her abdomen. "Don't worry, I'll eat extra for you, too, just don't tell your father." She flipped on the kitchen lights, grabbed a spoon from the silverware drawer and made a beeline for the freezer. She didn't bother to sit down, but stood in front of the freezer with the door open, popped the lid off the pint of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food, and dug her spoon in deep. She pulled up a huge glob of ooey, gooey chocolate, caramel, and marshmallow cream goodness and licked it like an ice cream cone.

Just as she finished the third drag of her tongue around the make-shift cone, Stephanie heard a soft moan. She lowered the spoon from her mouth and took a quick look around. Odd noises were not allowed in the Batcave. She dropped her frozen treat onto the counter top and went to explore the sound. When she walked around the island, she stopped and slowly sank to the kitchen floor, leaning back against it for support. Stephanie groaned and dropped her forehead into her hand. _Now? In the middle of the night?_ A second moan sounded, this one more pain-laced.

Even in his sleep, Ranger registered the soft moan and reached out to pull Stephanie closer to him. His hand came back empty and immediately, he sat bolt upright. "Babe?" Then he heard the second moan and shot out of the bed and ran down the hall. "Stephanie!" His heart banging in his chest, Ranger bolted down the hall and entered the kitchen. Panic ripped through him when he saw the glob of ice cream with a spoon sticking out of it melting on the counter top. "Babe?" A strained noise came from the other side of the kitchen island and he rounded the corner and froze.

Stephanie looked up, holding her stomach and gasped, "Can you believe it? It's time!"

"Okay, Babe." He gave her a tight smile, grabbed the house phone and pressed speed dial two. "Yo, it's time."

"Come on, Babe, let me help you up." Ranger reached down and lifted her from the floor. "You'll be more comfortable in bed." He walked her back to the bedroom and settled her in, all the while mentally clicking off the items on what needed to be done.

_sSsSs_

Ranger paced back and forth with his cell phone glued to his ear talking to Dr. Baker; he'd never dreamed it would take this long.

"Damn it, Lester, get your fat head out of the way." Bobby tried to push the man to the side so that he could see.

"Screw you; this is my first time witnessing the miracle of birth." Lester planted his feet and refused to move an inch.

"Both of you be quiet," Tank ordered without taking his eyes off the event happening before him.

"Is it over with?" Lester asked. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine." Ranger said and thanked the doctor before closing his phone. "CB did herself proud. She had a kitten for each of you; Bobby, you get first pick. Take care of CB; I have a wife that needs attending."

Ranger hurried back down the hall to the bedroom and collected himself when he saw Stephanie snuggled under the covers.

"It's all over, CB is fine and she's the proud mother of three healthy kittens." He crawled up under the covers and pulled her close.

"Ranger, promise me one thing," she stated, her eyes locked on his.

"Anything."

"Promise me when our baby is born, the guys will wait in the hall."

The sound of true laughter filled the room. "I promise, Babe." He nuzzled her neck and he felt her relax. "Right now, I have another idea. I think our son and I need to have a talk."

Stephanie giggled, knowing where this little foray was going to end up. "I'm not sure he's in a talkative mood right now." She nipped at his ear and played along.

"Oh, I think the little man and I are set for a long conversation," he said and kissed her as his hand teased one of her breasts. "A very long, long conversation." He let his hand drift down over the swell of their child before his fingers settled between her legs and began to excite her. "Carlos Francesco should understand from the beginning that his mother and father love each other very much."

"Somehow, I don't think that will be a problem," Stephanie playfully reached down between them to stroke his strong erection. Ranger proceeded to prove his love for her over and over again; that night and for the rest of their lives.

_The End! _


End file.
